


Tribal Influence

by snakebit1995



Category: RWBY
Genre: Fish out of Water, Friendship, OC, Original Character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2018-10-30 00:49:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 43,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10865589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snakebit1995/pseuds/snakebit1995
Summary: Leona Lionheart is from a very small tribe of all female warriors that live in the jungle, after first contact is established with her tribe she is selected to study at Beacon and learn about the cultures of the main world. It's an OC Story.





	1. Chapter 1

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

**Finally watched RWBY, now my mind is swimming with ideas for an OC fic, enjoy.**

* * *

**NO POV**

"Grr…" A girl with shaggy shoulder length hair grumbled a bit as she looked out the window.

She was dressed rather oddly, she was wearing a black fur bikini top, fur skit, fur boots, fur gauntlet and spiky shoulder pads and strapped to her back was something large, the size of a person but wrapped up to hid the look, her right and left arms were covered in strange black tribal tattoos, and her neck was adorned with a bone and feather necklace, she looked like she had come right out of the jungle…well actually she had.

Her name is Leona Lionheart, she comes from a very small tribe of all women, they leave deep in a jungle, the tribe only recently making contact with the rest of the world, and as a result one of them is being sent to Beacon to learn about society for her tribe, and thus Leona was selected.

* * *

**Leona's POV**

This Flying Machine, a so-called Airship, was something strange, we have nothing like it back in the jungle. They people around me were strange too, so loud, so vibrant I don't understand how they can claim to want to hunt yet stand out so much.

I was entrusted by the tribe to learn about this world, so I will but so far I see no reason for us to integrate with this strange world, they may have strange technologies, but this makes them lax…weak.

"Hmm…" I looked over at two girls that were being exceptionally loud.

The one was short, younger than most here. She had short black hair with red highlights and was wearing a red hood and cloak like outfit, the other was older, busty and blonde wearing a leather jacket and such.

"I don't wanna be special, I wanna be a normal girl with normal knees." The red one said.

"Jeez what's with you get excited." The blonde groaned.

"I am excited, it's just getting moved ahead two years…I don't want people to think I'm special." She sighed.

I looked at a strange screen that displayed funny pictures, a voice talked about a thief named Torchwick and how he had been accused of robbery.

_Why would they release such a criminal with little punishment, they should have removed his thumbs…?_

And then it talked about riots by strange animal people, I don't understand this place at all.

"Ouf, oh so sorry." The little red girl bumped into me.

"…" I just looked at her and sneered a bit.

"Wow you're tall." She gulped a bit.

"No…you are short." I blinked.

"What a weird outfit." The blonde said.

"I should say the same, you people all dress so strangely here." I remarked.

"Where are you from?" Little Red asked "Are you going to Beacon too?"

"That school yes?" I pointed out the glass "Yes, I am an exchange student, are you familiar with the Amazons of the Giant's Jungle."

"Oh I heard about that on the news."

"I am here to learn about you." I pointed at the two "Your human society to see how you live, and learn…too see if your people should be respected or not."

"Wow, sounds neat." The blonde said "I'm Yang, this is my sister Ruby."

"Odd names." I remarked "I am Leona."

The flying ship stopped and we docked, stepping off, passed a person vomiting into a can.

"That…is a man." I remarked "You all live together?"

"Hmm, yeah." Yang nodded "Why?"

"Where I come from there are no men." I told them "I had never actually spoken till one until they came to us about this program and the Tribal Mothers selected me as the transfer."

I stepped off with them.

"Where I come from we don't have these luxuries, we live in community off the land, everyone hunts or gathers, we don't take things so lightly or have so many advances…it's strange." I commented.

"Wait if you have no men where you not born an Amazon?" Yang asked while Ruby looked about nervously.

"No I was born an Amazon, sometimes men wander into our territory." I said "Like the animals we hunt they are used for all their resources before being disposed of, although apparently, your society would prefer we not do the latter as it is…how you say…A savage act."

"Well don't worry." Yang smiled "Stick with us and you'll learn all you need to know about our world. Oh look my friends see ya!"

"Yang!" Ruby cried out as the blonde ran off "Wait where do we go, do we go to our dorms? Do we even have dorms?!"

"Are your kind always so flighty?" I wondered out loud before Ruby spun around and crashed into a cart, knocking cases to the floor.

"I don't know what I'm doing." The girl groaned.

"What are you doing?!"

Another girl walked up, this one was slightly taller than Ruby, had long white hair, a scar on one eye and was wearing a short white dress.

_She doesn't appear very strong, why come to a battle school?_

"Oh sorry!" Ruby jumped up.

"Sorry?!" the girl scoffed "Do you know how much damage you could have ceased."

"Umm, Uhh." Ruby picked up a case.

"Just give me that!" the girl yanked the case away and opening it to show many vials "This is Dust, mined and purified in the Schnee quarry."

"Is that supposed to be important?" I asked picking Ruby up by her collar.

"Are you stupid of course it is!" the girl scoffed at me "Uneducated swine."

"Ehh?" I growled and reached back toward my back "Wanna say that again?"

"This is Dust, Water, Fire, Lightning, Energy!" she shook a bottle around.

"Ah…ACHOO!" Ruby sneezed as some of the particles got in her nose.

Ruby somehow ended up breathing fire, blasting the annoying girl with the flames.

"I wasn't aware your kind could do that." I blinked "Maybe we are more different than we thought."

"UNBELIVABLE!" the girl snapped.

"I'm really sorry!" Ruby begged twiddling her thumbs.

"You dunce, what are you even doing here. Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Grr." I looked down at the girl "You've got a bad attitude, where I come from people who act like this get taken…care of."

"Calm down." Ruby told me "I umm…"

"This isn't some ordinary combat school." The girl said "It's not just sparring and practice. We're here to fight monsters so watch where you're going!"

"Grr."

"I said I was sorry alright Princess." Ruby glared a bit.

"Hehehe, now we're having fun." The smiled a bit with anticipation.

"Actually it's Heiress." A girl with a bow in her hair walked up.

She was thin, wearing black and white, dressed somewhat formally but also casual. She was reading, not paying us much mind.

"She's Weiss Schnee." The new girl pointed and held up one of the Dust vials "She's the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest energy producers in the world."

"Finally some proper recognition." Weiss smirked.

"The same company that's become infamous for controversial labor forces and business practices." The girl sighed.

"I don't get it." I told Ruby.

"It sounds complicated." She sighed.

"Ugh!" Weiss grabbed the vial and stormed off.

"Haa…I wonder if I'm the only one having a rough first day?" Ruby wondered.

"Oh, so this isn't normal?" I tilted my head.

"No…not at all." She sighed laying on the ground.

"Why are we laying down?" I asked "Is this a normal thing for your culture?"

"No." she sighed rolling over to look away from me.

"Perhaps I should explore more on my own." I stood up "I will speak with you again soon one called Ruby."

"Yeah whatever." She half waved as I walked off.

I wandered around for a bit before ending up in some auditorium for an assembly, it seemed like a sort of tribal meeting that we would have back home.

I saw Weiss yelling at Ruby and Yang about something, I stood in the area but remined silent, then the teachers spoke, I recognized the man in the white hair, Mister Ozpin, as the one who came to my village to get someone to try his school.

"I'll keep this brief." He said "You have all traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and once finished you plan to dedicate yourselves to protecting the people…but I look among you and all I see is wasted energy with no real purpose."

"Tsk." I growled a bit "This is the attitude of men?"

"You assume knowledge will free you of this lack of direction but your time here will prove knowledge can only take you so far. The other steps will be up to you."

The woman with the light blonde hair stepped up and told us where we'd be spending the night and that tomorrow our "Initiation" would begin, I wondered if it would be like the ignition back in the jungle, or something different.

* * *

**Later**

Sleeping in a large room with so many people was not unfamiliar to me, but these men, I saw them looking at me with those eyes…disgusting. I recognized some faces, Ruby and Yang, Weiss and the girl with the bow, some girl with red hair…I had seen her on an banner on my way in, perhaps she was some sort of important idol, she certainly could have been an warrior in my tribe on looks alone.

Then they started talking…and getting loud.

"Grr." I stood behind Ruby.

"Ah Leona!"

"Moon." I pointed out "Where I come from that means sleep, and I know enough to know it means the same here, so quiet…sleep."

"Yes!" the girl stood up straight and ran off.

Tomorrow would be the start of my time here, but for now I would rest, reflecting on what I had learned about this world so far.

_It's a strange place…but I also find it interesting. I'm not sure if it's right for my people, but I want to learn more about it._

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	2. Initiation

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

The next morning we had to assemble outside for some kind of initiation ritual, this culture is strange with how they do things. Rituals for education…it's certainly odd.

"Now then I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams." The woman with the blonde hair, Goodwitch, said "Well allow us to put an end to the confusion, each of you will be given teammates today."

_I see, they work in teams, like a hunting party?_

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here." Ozpin explained "So it's in your best interests to find someone you can work well with."

_So long as I'm not partnered with a man I don't care._

"With all that being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years." He finished.

_What an interesting partnering system, it's about adjusting on the fly, do they always take such rough measures, it can't maximize efficiency. But still…with the addition of me they have an odd number of players, someone won't get a partner._

"Once you find a partner make your way to the northern end of the forest, there will be opposition along the way, but do not hesitate to destroy the obstacles in your path." The man said "You will be monitored and graded but the instructors will not intervene, so if you die, that's on you. There is an abandoned temple at the end of the forest, that contains several relics, a pair should choose one and return to the top of the cliff, you will be graded appropriately from there."

"Any Questions."

_So it's a Search mission…this sounds fun._

"Umm yeah so-." The barfing boy with the blonde hair, Jaune, spoke up but was ignored.

_I see so they ignore the voices of the weak here…_

"Now then take your positions."

"Hmm." I rolled my neck "This looks interesting, I love the thrill of the hunt."

The transport system was some sort of spring loaded launch pad, I had never seen anything like it but it certainly got you air time, although you were responsible for your own landing.

"HHRAA!" I landed on two feet the ground softening around my feet.

"Now then, to find another person…preferably not a man." I looked around and listened only to hear pops in the distance "That sounds like someone interesting…smells like it too."

* * *

**NO POV**

Leona took a long jump through the trees and landed in a three-point stance, two feet and left hand on the ground, her right hand reaching back to pull the wrapped blade off her back.

"WHOA!" Yang gasped

Leona looked back and saw she was with Blake, the black hair girl equally surprised by her loud landing.

"Hehehe, your fight was loud, I like that." The Amazon smiled.

"ROOAAA!" A Grimm, one of the bear types, charged her.

"RAAAH!" she roared back at it playfully and pulled the wrapping off the blade and slammed it into the ground "COME ON!"

"Holy crap!" Yang gasped "Look at the size of that thing."

"How…can she lift that?" Blake wondered.

Leona's blade was a massive cleaver, the blade itself was at least 7 feet long and the handle another foot or so, it had to weigh at least 700 pounds if not more.

"YAAH!" Leona reached up and lifted the blade with one hand.

With one downward swing Leona cut the beast in two and sent out a powerful rubble shockwave

"Hahaha!" she laughed as more arrived "Now this is a hunt!"

Leona jumped in again and slashed through more Grimm, her blade easily slicing through them.

"CAW!" a bird tried to bomb her.

"NO!" she swiped her hand and a tree shot a vine out to bind the creature.

"Die ungrateful beast." She shot it in the head with a crossbow on her left fur bracer.

"Whoa…That…was…awesome." Yang blinked "SO COOL!"

"You two are partners, right?" Leona smirked wrapping her blade back up "I think I'll stay with you till I find my new teammate, interesting things seem like they'll happen."

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"I see, your people have weapons that are two in one." I remarked looking at Yang's gantlets "Combining range and melee weapons, my tribe doesn't have the sophisticated technology for that."

"Yeah they're useful, but having two weapons is good too." Yang said.

"Unless it's that big." Blake said "Wouldn't it be cumbersome."

"You sound like the Matriarchs." I smirked "They told me that I made my weapon too big but they came around."

"How so?" Blake asked as we walked.

"The Arena has a way of settling those sorts of things." I looked over "They learned quickly why I named this weapon Bloodsplitter."

Blake paused for a bit and gave me a questioning look before continuing "You bound that bird with a vine."

"Yes, my Semblance is called **Wrath of Nature** to put it simply…I speak for the trees, but cutting them and injecting a bit of my aura into them I can control them for a few moments." I said as the leaves rustled "I can move foliage, rigid things like trees don't move well but vines, like those in the jungle, are very useful unfortunately in your metal world my power is frequently not useful."

We walked for a while more, but never came across someone without a partner, it quickly became apparent to me I was the odd student out, the one with no partner, not that I care, I'd rather be an individual than get partnered with a man, personally I want to fight with strong people, like Yang.

"Is this it?" Yang asked.

"…" Blake was quiet.

"Rubble, pedestals…seems like a temple to me." I remarked "Unless temple means something different in this land."

"Look, chess pieces?" Blake pointed out.

"Chess?" I asked.

"It's a game for smart people." Yang said picking a piece up "Look a Golden Pony!"

"Sure." Blake sighed.

"Should I take one as well?" I wondered under my breath "Frankly I don't care enough to bother…this whole initiation has been lazily maintained, the Amazons would never make one so foolish, we'd actually make sure we had enough people if they wanted to make Duos."

"See this wasn't too hard!" Yang laughed.

"This place isn't hard to find." Blake explained.

"WAAAAA!"

"Oh no, a girl is in trouble!" Yang gasped as a high pitched scream rang out.

"That was a girl?" I wondered "Sounded more like a terrified little kid."

"Did you hear it Blake? What should we do?" Yang asked.

"Uhh…" Blake looked up and pointed.

"AAHH Look out!"

"Oh it's Ruby." I looked up and saw the falling girl.

"WAH!" Jaune suddenly flew passed and the two collided in the air.

"This is getting fun!" I laughed "Very exciting!"

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake asked.

"Uhh I…" Yang sighed before the forest rumbled.

"Hmm." I licked my lips "Something is coming…something big."

I smiled "Really big!"

I suddenly frowned when a Ursa died right there "Oh it's dead already…"

"Wee!" that peppy girl I saw yesterday, Nora, jumped off the beast "Aww it's broken…"

"Nora please…don't ever do that again." Her friend with the long black hair the man, Ren, followed behind her.

"OHH~" the girl ignored him and picked up a piece "Look, I'm Queen of the Castle!"

"NORA!"

"I'm coming Ren!" She skipped off.

"That girl just rode an Ursa…" Blake blinked.

"That looked like fun, but it would have been better to just kill it." I smirked.

"REEE!" there was another shrill screech and this time a huge scorpion like beast snapped out of the forest chasing that Pyrrha girl.

"Jaune!" she yelled.

"Help!" the boy cried stuck in a tree.

"Hmph!" Ruby landed next to us.

"Ruby!" Yang smiled.

"Yang!"

"NORA!" the girl jumped up.

"Leona!" I waved.

Everyone just kinda looked at Nora and I.

"Oh is this not a thing you guys do?" I asked "I see…well this is awkward…"

"It's a Deathstalker." Blake looked on.

"Oh boy." I shivered looking at the scorpion "Let's kill it!"

"Could everyone just shut up to two seconds!" Yang snapped "It's nothing but crazy after crazy I can't keep up!"

"…" we were all quiet for a moment.

"Time's passed." I nodded.

"Yang." Ruby pointed up where there was a huge bird.

"RUBY!" Weiss snapped.

"I said jump." She sighed.

"She's gonna fall." Blake said.

"She'll be fine." Ruby laughed "I think…"

"She's already falling." Ren said.

"Alight right." I held my hand out.

The trees bent over to create a canopy so when Jaune and Weiss crashed down their fall was softened although they still landed rather roughly.

"AH!" Pyrrha jumped towards us while juking the Deathstalker.

"Great the gang's all here." Yang smiled "Now we can die together."

"Die, that's not what I came here for." I smirked eagerly scratching my arm, an internal itch that just couldn't be scratched "Let's just kill that thing so it doesn't kill us."

"WAH!" Ruby got swatted away when she tried to attack "Don't worry I'm okay!"

"The carapace of a Deathstalker is hard, back home we repurpose them for armor plates." I explained "Your bullets will be unable to pierce it."

I pulled my cleaver off my back "But I can probably chop it's claws off!"

"Down girl." Yang yanked my collar "We can't fight that thing especially not with the bird too! We have to get Ruby and get out of here!"

"And here I was thinking you were fun." I growled.

"HMPH!" Wiess swiped her sword and sent out a wave of ice that pinned the Deathstalker back before it could stab Ruby.

"RAAH!" I jumped in and slammed my blade down, snapping a claw off "YESS! If you want to run then run, but I much prefer to fight."

"Killing them isn't part of the test." Weiss said "We should just grab the idols and get back to the school."

"WE should focus on the mission." Ruby explained.

" _ **Leona not everything is about fighting, you need to learn to walk away sometimes…You need to put the tribe before yourself."**_

_Tsk…that old woman…_

"Grr…fine." I put my cleaver back "Perhaps I…misjudged you, your kind prioritizes the whole as opposed to the one, something I am understanding of."

We headed back towards the cliff, the Deathstalker chasing us on land the bird circling above us.

"We need to keep running!" Jaune yelled.

"You men are so cowardly." I laughed turning around and stomping my foot **"Root Wall!"**

The ground welled up and roots burst out, intertwining and blocking the path behind us.

"Nice!" Yang smiled.

"Deathstalkers can burrow, it won't be long till it gets through, if the plan is to run we will have to keep moving.

We crossed a bridge but the bird crashed in and split us into two groups, most of us on one side but Ren, Blake and Pyrrha on the other.

"We need to get over there." Jaune said.

"Then let's go!" Nora cheered.

Nora used her hammer to create a seesaw and launch the two to the other side, leaving the four of us, Wiess, Yang, Ruby and myself to take on the Bird although Blake was quickly knocked to our side of the bridge.

"Hm." She landed next to us after slashing the bird "It's tougher than it looks."

"Than just hit it harder." I laughed.

"We'll go at it with everything we've got." Yang nodded.

"RAAAH!" I yelled loudly as we started taking shots at the beast with our ranged weapons, although the bird seemed mostly unphased and just crashed into the tower we were on.

"None of that worked." Weiss said.

"Then we changed plans." I slammed my blade down "Let's slip those wings!"

"I have an idea but you'll need to cover me." Ruby said.

"Okay." Wiess nodded.

"Fine." I growled "But that plan better end with us killing that beast."

Yang started by jumped into it's beak, blasting the beast with a flurry of explosive punches, that was enough to knock it off balance and make it crash into the cliff where Wiess quickly froze it's tail.

"RAAAHH!" I jumped in slammed my cleaver into the cliff above, sending an avalanche of rubble down, the boulders breaking the beast's wings.

We used Blake's tether to make a sort of slingshot that Weiss was able to launch Ruby with, the girl slamming into it's neck, and running up the cliff, using her scythe to decapitate it.

"HAHAHA!" I laughed "And you all wanted to run away from that thrilling hunt?!"

"That was certainly something." Yang smiled.

* * *

**Later**

After the Exam we were all once more assembled for the assigning of teams, the teams were made of the people who took the same pieces from the temple.

"Jaune Arc, Lei Ren, Pyrrha Nikos and Nora Valkyrie you all retrieved the White Rook Pieces, so from this day on you shall work together as team JNPR." Ozpin explained "You will be led by Jaune Arc."

_Four letter names but you pronounce them as a word with vowels?_

"Oh right there was one more…" he mumbled to himself as the next team was displayed "And Finally Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long and Leona Lionheart. Technically you're supposed to be a team of four but we have an odd number and since Leona is mostly here to learn I think she'll be best placed with you four. The five of your retrieved the White Knight Pieces and from this day on you will work together as team RLWBY…Uhh the L is silent?'

"I don't care." I smirked "Teach me a lot okay."

"You will be led by…Ruby Rose." He finished.

"Really?" the girl gasped.

"I'm so proud!" Yang cheered.

"This place…is growing on me." I laughed.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**I feel like there was a joke I could have made about pronouncing the L for Leona as a second R, but I couldn't make it work so we'll just say it's silent. As awkward as having her around is sometimes it's just easier to shoehorn something in than try and work around it.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	3. Tattoos

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

We all moved in as a team, the room was rather tight with five girls although I didn't mind I was used to community living like this in the barracks back at the village. Speaking of tight I was not a fan of these "Uniforms", I was much more comfortable in my fur outfit and I hated that they made us all look the same.

Though I did enjoy the first class, it was all about hunting stories, I couldn't understand why the other girls weren't fascinated by these mighty tales of the hunt.

"Hey Leona." Ruby whispered.

"Hmm?" I looked over and saw she had drawn a silly picture.

"Hehehe." She snickered.

"Hmph." I chuckled a bit.

"Grr…" Weiss growled at us.

"And Then I returned to the village celebrated as a hero." The teacher, a man, said.

"Bravo! Another! Another!" I clapped.

"It seems we have at least one interested student." He acknowledged "But remember students who among you considers yourself to have the three traits of a huntsman, they must be strategic, well-educated and wise! So who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

"Isn't a huntress just supposed to kill stuff?" I asked Ruby.

"I don't know." She shrugged a bit.

"I do Sir!" Weiss suddenly yelled.

"Well then let's find out." The teacher gestured to a large cage in the classroom.

"Do cages in this world always growl?" I asked Ruby.

"No."

Weiss changed into her battle outfit and faced off with a Boar type Grimm.

"Go Weiss!" Yang cheered.

"Wahoo, spill it's guts like a true warrior!" I yelled.

"Fight hard." Blake clapped.

"Yeah you represent Team RLWBY…The L is silent!"

"I am trying to focus!" she snapped at us.

"Is giving words of encouragement before a hunt not something you do here?" I asked.

"Well…it's Weiss." Ruby sighed "Uhh but I'm sorry."

Weiss started fighting the creature, she didn't seem to be making progress but she certainly wasn't losing.

"Hang in there Weiss!" Ruby yelled.

"Watch the tusks." I yelled.

Weiss rapier was soon pinned between the two tusks and shot across the room although she did quickly retrieve it.

"Weiss go for it's belly, there's no armor there!" Ruby cheered.

"Stop telling me what to do!" she snapped back before stabbing the boar.

After that the bell rang, and class was dismissed.

"Weiss!" Ruby ran out into the hall.

"Weiss can fight." I remarked to Yang "But her attitude makes for a poor hunting companion."

"I guess."

**Later**

"Hmm." I sat up in the bed.

I found these beds far more uncomfortable than the cots back home, strange since the others liked them so much. Weiss had yet to return and despite Blake and Yang going to bed Ruby was still up. I didn't say anything when I got up and went outside to sit near the trees in the school courtyard.

"Much better."

"Could you not sleep?" Ruby asked walking up to me.

"I suppose." I looked at her "I find this place strange, for all its metal and lights…the stars still look stunning."

"Weird people normally say it's harder to see the stars in the city then out in the country." She laughed sitting on the grass next to me.

"Well it's impossible to see the stars with a whole jungle canopy in the way." I smiled "I thought you said you were studying."

"I need a break." She sighed "It's hard, I don't know how people take school so seriously, and I saw you leave so I figured I'd take the chance to get some fresh air, that and we can talk."

"Talk? About what?" I asked.

"Stuff I guess, I'd like to know more about you." She smiled "Your tribe too."

"Leona Lionheart, I grew up in the Amazon Tribe, but you knew all that already." I laughed.

"What's your tribe like?" she asked.

"We're all women, we live like one big family." I told her "You live for the village, everything you do is for the sake of the village."

"Sounds tough." She said.

"Not really, when you grow up like that it's just…normal." I shrugged "Frankly you all wanting to do things alone is very foreign to me."

"I guess that makes sense, it must be hard to live out there with all the Grimm." Ruby said.

"We manage, we hunt what gets close the rest tend to stay away as a result." I shrugged "Or so the Matriarchs say."

"Matriarchs?"

"Our Elders, the oldest women in the village, they make choices about what to do in crisis, how to deal with problems, what and where to hunt." I explained "We all listen to them."

"What about these." She poked my right arm "I like them."

"My Tattoos?" I asked.

"I think they look cool." She laughed.

"In my village these are very significant, each spiral and line shows something important, we have markings for everything from hunting milestones to childbirth." I explained showing the branch like pattern on my arms that went all the way down my hands where it changed into a more skeletal shape and curved around my fingers "Some tattoos are hereditary, so you'll often find that daughters have some pattern in common with their mother to show linkage. We even have tattoos that show our mates."

"Mates?" Ruby looked focused "I thought you said your tribe doesn't have any men?"

"Ah I see there's a little confusion." I nodded "We use men for breeding yes, but that does not mean that we are unfamiliar with the concept of romance and love as I've seen in your world. So in my village if you see the same mark on the breast of two woman it means that they have completed the ceremony of unity and bound themselves to each other. Though I suppose it must be strange to you, women loving other women, though to us it is considered normal maybe someday, maybe even here, I may find someone to share a marking with?"

"We have stuff like that here, although it's a lot more complicated." I sighed "It's certainly not look at as positively as your people seem to, though I don't care who does what, I think it's cool to have someone special, no matter who they are."

"You see most girls in our village will grow up with two mothers, although biologically speaking only one is genetically so." I said "Or so says the scientists who came to study my people. Though I can't say I know it personally."

"Did you only have one Mom?" Ruby asked.

"I never had a mother at all." I told her showing her my palms where there were dark beads tattooed on them "Do you see these markings?"

"They look like raindrops." She said.

"No…they are drops of blood." I said "I got these at my initiation, they are the symbol of my mother, though I never knew her."

"Did she die?" Ruby asked.

"You could say that…she was killed." I looked off "Or more specifically she was…executed."

"Ha!" Ruby gasped "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked."

"There's no reason to be shocked, she got what she deserved, or so the Elders told me." I explained "My Mother was a vile woman who killed her fellow tribeswomen for fun, unfortunately she was pregnant with me at the time, the tribe needs all the girls it can get, so she was allowed to give birth to me…and executed the next day."

"I see…I didn't really get to know my Mom well either." She frowned.

"Then that makes us kindred spirits I suppose." I smiled.

"What about your other tattoos what do those mean?" she asked.

"I don't have very many unique tattoos yet, I had only completed my initiation recently, at 16 we go though a rite of passage to officially be recognized as an adult woman in the eyes of the tribe."

"What do you have to do?" she asked.

"You must collect the poison of a Deathstalker." I said "You return to the village with it."

"That sounds hard…especially for a girl our age."

"That's actually the easy part." I chuckled "The poison is distilled and mixed with herbs and tribal concoctions and worked into a fine paste…to put it simply you could say-"

I held the back of my hands up.

"We use it to make the ink for our tattoos." I smiled "That is the most painful part, getting your first tattoos, feeling the burning and stinging as your body grows used to the poison is something not all candidates can bare, but those who do are Amazon's down to the very fiber of our being."

"So your people inject themselves with the venom of a Grimm?" Ruby asked "Is that safe?"

"To my knowledge, it is." I shrugged "But perhaps there is something that allows Amazons to handle it, I can't quite say for sure, but subsequent tattoos aren't nearly as painful."

I stood up "Thank you Ruby I enjoyed this chat."

"Yeah me too, I think I learned a lot." She smiled "Your Tattoos sound weird…but cool, I don't know if they'd suit me though."

"Your pale skin with black ink would certainly make you stand out." I smiled "Although I don't think the Matriarchs would let you join the tribe, seeing as you're an outsider. Though if you truly are interested who knows, your strong enough to be an Amazon, if you can handle the initiation that is. Thank you Ruby, you've made me feel so welcome here, but we should head back inside."

"Yeah it's late, but I kinda wanted to study more." She sighed as we headed back inside "I wanna be a good leader that you guys can depend on."

"You've done more than enough." I smiled.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Hope you enjoyed this exposition chapter for Leona's backstory. We'll get more into the story of her Mom and more about her tribe later, this was just meant to establish some worldbuilding stuff about the Amazons.  
**

**Debating whether I wanna do shipping in this? I've never done an OC Yuri ship, could be fun to experiment with that?**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	4. Men are Weak

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

I heard there was a combat tournament coming up, it certainly sounded interesting, the chance to fight strong people from all over the world, I could surely learn a lot.

For now though we were at lunch, eating with our friends from team JNPR.

"You're food is so much spicier here." I looked at my tray "In my home we eat most meats with fruity sauces and spices so these flavors are rather strange."

"Weird, different foods from different places." Ruby said as we sat down.

"And there we were in the middle of the night." Nora seemed to be telling some sort of story.

"It was day." Ren sighed.

"We were surrounded by Ursa." She continued.

"They were Beowolves." Ren sighed again.

"There were dozens!"

"It was just two."

"Perhaps you two should coordinate your hunting story." I laughed.

"Well they were no match, and in the end Ren and I took them down." Nora laughed.

"She's been having this dream for nearly a month now." Ren sighed.

"Jaune is something bothering you?" Pyrrha asked looking at the boy playing with his food.

"Uhh yeah why?"

"You seem a little…not good." Ruby said trying to be nice.

"You look terrified puny man." I added.

"Ouch." Yang laughed.

"I'm fine." Jaune laughed and smiled "See, fine."

"Jaune Cardin has been picking on you since the first day." Pyrrha confronted him.

"Who Cardin Winchester no he just likes to mess around." He laughed "You know, practical jokes."

"He's just a bully." Ruby said.

"If you can't work towards the goal of the group you are dead weight." I added "He only holds people back, in my village he'd be marked for death acting like that."

"Name one time he's bullies me." Jaune tried to laugh it off.

"That time he knocked your books out of your hands."

"Or that time he opened your shield in the doorway."

"Or that other time he shot you across campus in a locker." I added "You are a weak man Jaune Arc. If you want I can beat him up."

"Oh let's break his legs!" Nora cheered.

"I like the way you think." I smiled slapping her hand as the people around here do…high fives they call them.

"Guys it's fine." Jaune said standing up "Besides it's not like he's only a jerk to me, he's like that to everyone."

"YOW Stop!"

At the present moment the aforementioned bully was tugging on the ears of another student. I had actually never seen one like it before, Ruby said they were called Faunus, they're like humans but with animals like features and abilities.

"How autrocious, I despise people like him." Pyrrha growled.

"Are you sure we can't break his legs?" I asked again "Because I kinda really want to do that."

_I wanna break him in half…I bet it would be fun to just leave him a crumbled-up mess on the floor…_

"It must be hard to be a Faunus." Yang commented.

"I find it hard to understand why you treat people differently based on something as trivial as appearance." I said "If anything someone should be shunned for weakness."

"You have a very strange outlook." Blake looked at me.

"I have an outlook of my homeland, there strength is more important, we don't breed like rabbits after all, we can't afford to be picky with things like looks." I explained.

"I think you look great." Ruby giggled.

"Why thank you, although all Amazons aren't as beautiful as me." I said smugly "That's not to say they're ugly or anything…"

* * *

**Later**

The next few days were quiet, Jaune was still acting off, somehow he had become friends with the bully, but no one really called him out on it. After that we got to go on a field trip in the woods, it was a nice refresher compared to all the time we had been spending inside.

We had to gather sap from trees, simple enough for me but not so for everyone else.

"How do I get it out?" Weiss asked looking at the bark.

"Just ask nicely." I poked a tree, a branch lowering and filling my jar.

"I feel like that's cheating." She grumbled trying to jam a wooden spike into a tree to tap it.

"Be careful, if you force it-."

"YOW!" she yelped as the spike bounced off and cut her hand.

"The tree will fight back." I sighed.

"Are you okay Weiss?" Yang asked.

"I'm fine, just a cut." She hissed.

"Hmm." I grabbed her wrist and looked at her hand "You're lucky this sap isn't also poison."

"What are you-."

"MM!" I dragged my tongue over her cut.

"What is god's name are you doing!" she yelped.

"GULP!" I swallowed "Wow Weiss you taste delicious."

"Wow…" Yang stared at us.

"Don't lick people!" the white haired girl yanked her wrist away.

"Sorry." I laughed "I just saw that dark red on your pale skin…and I couldn't help myself. That sweet iron tang…yum."

"You are so weird sometimes." She scoffed "What are you a vampire?"

"What's a vampire? Sorry, I know it's a bad habit." I laughed "But I've been doing it since I was a kid and just can't seem to help myself."

"ROOOOAAA!"

"Did you guys here that?" Ruby asked.

"Sounded close."

"It's an Ursa." A boy ran passed.

"Isn't that kid on Cardin's team?" Blake asked.

"Where?" Yang grabbed the kid.

"Back there, with Cardin." He whined squirming free.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped.

"I wanna kill it." I smiled reaching back for my blade.

"No." Ruby told me "You go with Yang and Ruby, find Miss Goodwitch."

"I can't kill it." I growled "You're…telling me know."

_I want to kill it, I want to kill it, I want to kill it…if she won't let me…I could just kill her first…_

"It'll be best, you can make sure everyone else is okay that way." Ruby nodded "I'll be fine."

"…fine." I sighed turning around "But the next time we hunt together, I'm killing something."

I walked back with Yang and Blake, there were no other beasts on the path and by the time we reported in there was no need for back up, Jaune already killed the creature.

"I'm surprised." I mentioned on the flight back "I had thought you too weak to slay a Grimm."

"Hey!" he yelped.

"That's not very nice." Ruby told me.

"What I mean is…you're not as weak as I thought, perhaps you do have some skill." I smiled "Originally if you had wandered into the Jungle of the Amazons you'd probably have been killed, women don't want to breed with weak hearted men, I'm glad you've proven that thought wrong. Strength is what matters, the thrill and skill of a hunt."

"Is that why you like to fight so much?" Ruby asked.

"Of course, the more strong things I fight the stronger I'll get." I smirked "And I want to be the strongest."

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**I forgot how Season 1 is 16 episodes, and so many of them are short 5 minute things as opposed to the 12 minutes episodes from Season 2 on.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	5. Faunus

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

Today we were going into town to check some things out, apparently, a bunch of students from other schools were coming to compete in that Fighting Festival and Weiss wanted us to go introduce ourselves.

"So this is a scouting mission then?" I asked.

"What, no!" she gasped "People are coming for the Vytal Festival and as students it is our unspoken duty to welcome them. This festival is dedicated to the cultures of the world, you should pay attention you'll learn a lot."

"Could you make this sound any more boring?" Yang laughed.

"This place smells like fish." Ruby groaned as we approached the docks.

"I heard students coming from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today, and as I've said it is our duty to welcome them." Weiss nodded.

"So we are just scouting them." I blinked.

"Look at that." Ruby stopped and pointed.

We were passing by a shop, or what was left of it since the place looked to have been ransacked.

"Looks like something big was here." I smiled "I wonder how strong they were?"

"What happened here?" Ruby asked someone who looked to be investigating the situation.

"Robbery, second Dust shop hit this week." The man said "This place is turning into a jungle."

"Hey." I growled.

"It's an expression." Ruby told me.

"They left the money again, just too the dust." Another man said.

"Is that odd?" I asked.

"Very." Weiss nodded.

"You thinking it was the uh…White Fang?"

"I'm thinking I don't get paid enough to care." The men joked walking away.

"White Fang…I think I heard one of those funny picture screens talking about them." I said.

"The White Fang." Weiss scoffed "What a bunch of awful degenerates."

"What's your problem?" Blake asked.

"My problem? I simply don't care for insane ruffians." Weiss said.

"Are they strong?" I asked "If they're a problem let's fight them."

"They're just misguided Faunus, and stop trying to fight everything." Blake rolled her eyes.

"Wiping humanity off the map seems more than misguided." Weiss countered.

"Well then they're very misguided." Blake said.

"Misguided still seems like the wrong word-."

"Nah, don't get involved." Yang covered my mouth.

"HMMH!" I nodded.

"Whatever they want to do to humanity it doesn't explain why they'd rob a Dust shop in the middle of Vale." Blake said.

"She's right." Ruby nodded "Besides the police were only suspecting them and they never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few weeks ago, maybe it was him."

"That doesn't change the White Fang." Weiss pouted "Those Faunus are just a bunch of scum who only know how to lie and steal."

"I've only met a few in my short time here, but I was not stolen from." I said "And if I had been they'd have sooner lost a hand then gotten away with it."

We walked around for a bit more, then a Faunus, one with a tail like a monkey ran by us.

"Well Weiss there you go, you saw the competition, let's go home now." Yang sighed.

"Quick let's go observe him." Weiss ran off.

"Are you scouting him or conducting a science experiment." I said following her.

"YOW!" Weiss turned the corner and ran into something.

"Missing the forest through the trees." I laughed "So focused on one person you forgot about the crowd around you."

"Grr." Weiss grumbled standing up "No, he got away."

"Umm Weiss." Yang pointed down.

"AH!" the girl gasped when she saw she was standing on someone.

"Salutations!" the girl on the ground waved.

This girl on the ground was thin, a little tall, short orange hair and an interesting tan outfit with green highlights, she seemed strange, like stranger than all the other humans.

"Uh hello?" Ruby looked down at her.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked.

"I'm wonderful, thank you for asking." She nodded.

"Are you going to stand up?" I asked "The ground can be comfortable but I've found that the sidewalk is not as comfortable as dirt, if you want to take a nap there's a park around the corner."

"Yes…I think I will get up." She flipped up "My name is Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hi, I'm Ruby."

"Leona."

"Weiss."

"Blake."

"Did you hit you heard?" Yang asked before Blake whacked her "Oh, I mean I'm Yang."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled.

"You said that already." I blinked.

"Oh…so I did!" she nodded and smiled.

"Okay." Weiss stepped back nervously "Well sorry about bumping into you."

"Take care friend." Ruby waved as we prepared to leave.

"She was…strange." Yang said as we got out of ear shot.

"She's even stranger than most of your kind." I added.

"Now then where did that Faunus Riffraff run off to." Weiss tapped her finger on her cheek.

"What did you call me?"

"WAH!" we all yelped as Penny appeared in front of us.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't think you could hear!" Yang apologized quickly.

"Wait wasn't she." Weiss looked around frantically.

_Took get there without any of us knowing…she might not look it but this girl is strong…_

"No not you, you." Penny pointed at Ruby and leaned close to her.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ruby said.

"You called me your friend." Penny gasped "Am I really your friend?"

"Umm?" Ruby looked at us.

Everyone was nodding no but I wanted her to get to know this strong girl, I wanted to fight her, so I nodded yes.

"Uhh yeah sure." Ruby smiled "Why not."

"Sensational!" Penny clapped "We can paint our nails, and talk about boys."

"Was this what it was like to meet me?" Ruby asked.

"It's like this when I meet everyone." I shrugged.

"No, she seems far quirkier." Weiss nodded.

"So what are you doing in Vale?" Yang tried to get us on a different topic.

"I'm here to fight in the Vytal Festival." Penny smiled.

"Wonderful!" I cheered "I hope we can fight."

"You're gonna fight?" Weiss asked.

"I'm combat ready." Penny saluted.

"You don't look the part." Weiss said.

"Looks can be deceiving, I mean I can lift a 700 plus pound cleaver like it's made of cardboard." I smirked "She's strong, I can tell. Sides you wear a dress but you're strong."

"Hey this is a combat skirt!" Weiss pouted.

"Yeah they're practical!" Ruby slapped Weiss hand.

"Who cares if you can fight." I rolled my eyes "Penny let''s fight now, let me see how strong you are."

"I really shouldn't" she nodded.

"No fighting in the streets." Yang flicked my head "All you'll do is get us in trouble with the cops."

"No fun." I grumbled.

_Why don't they want to fight, they always avoid it…I should just show them how strong I am, so they know not to hold me back…_

"Grr…fight…" I started to reach back for Bloodsplitter before Weiss pushed passed me.

"Wait if you're here for the tournament does that mean you know that monkey tailed rapscallion?" Weiss asked.

"The what?" Penny asked.

"The filthy Faunus!" Weiss snapped.

"Why do you keep saying that!" Blake yelled "Stop calling him filthy and a degenerate, you don't even know him, he's a person!"

"Oh I hadn't realized it was opposite day." Weiss growled "I guess this trashcan is a streetlight, and this manhole cover is a paper plate. He broke the law, given time he'll probably join up with those Faunus in the White Fang."

"You ignorant little brat UGH!" Blake stormed off.

"Things seem to have escalated." I looked around.

"How dare you speak to a teammate that way!" Weiss charged after her.

"No, you're just a judgmental little baby." Blake growled.

"Should we stop them?" Yang asked.

"Let them start a fight." I laughed "Then I can break it up."

"Maybe we should just go." Yang asked.

"Where are we going?" Penny smiled.

"So you do admit that the White Fang is just a bunch of degenerates." Weiss said smugly.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Blake yelled back.

* * *

**Later**

We went back to the dorms, Blake and Weiss arguing all the way, never once shutting up even when Ruby had me separate them.

"Do you realize that you're defending an organization that hates humans?" Weiss asked "The Faunus of the White Fang are the purest kind of evil."

"There's no thing as pure evil!" Blake yelled "Why do you think they hate humanity so much, it's because of people like you!"

"People like me?!" Weiss gasped in offense.

"Guys come on." Ruby begged.

"Shut up already." I groaned.

"You discriminate!" Blake snapped.

"Don't give me that, I'm the victim here!" Weiss yelled.

"Oh boy." Yang gulped "She did not just say that."

"Do you wanna know why I hate the White Fang and distrust all the Faunus?" Weiss asked "It's because they're constantly at war with my family for years…and by war I mean actual bloodshed, people dying and being killed and as a result everyday my father would come home furious, it did not make for a happy home."

"Sounds exciting." I smiled.

"Not the time." Ruby groaned pushing me out of the way "Weiss…"

"I despise the White Fang because they're nothing but liars, thieves and murderers!"

"Well maybe we just got sick of getting pushed around!" Blake snapped.

The room got quiet for a moment.

"I…" Blake ran out of the room.

"Blake wait!" Ruby yelled after her.

* * *

**Later**

Ruby came back a few minutes later, already having lost track of Blake, it was late, Yang suggested she might just need some time alone, so we went to bed and waited…and then waited more, and before long the weekend was almost over and we still hadn't seen her.

"This is why I wish people didn't keep secrets." Ruby sighed.

"Secrets…" I looked at her "Yeah."

"No one else has anything important to share?" Yang asked as we walked around town.

"Nope." Weiss shook her head.

"I can't keep secrets from you sis." Ruby laughed.

"…No." I looked away."

"She's lying!" Yang pointed accusingly.

"Tsk, it's not important, trust me it's nothing like Blake's secret, to be matter of fact I was told to tell you that lie by the Matriarchs, I'm sure you'll figure it out in time." I said "Now we should go find her."

"She's a big girl she can handle herself." Weiss said.

"She's out teammate." Yang said.

"Is she?" Weiss gave a nasty look.

"Weiss!" Ruby gasped.

"You heard what she said." Weiss mumbled.

"Whether she is or isn't that doesn't change the fact she's missing and we need to find her." Yang said.

"A member of the White Fang, right under our noses." Weiss grumbled.

"I just hope she's okay." Ruby sighed.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**I've got a few fun filler slice of life stuff planned for the time between seasons 1 and 2.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	6. Blood

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"BLAKE!" Ruby called out "Where are you?!"

"Blake!" Yang yelled.

"Hello?" I yelled with them.

"Weiss come on you're not helping." Ruby pouted.

"Oh you know who might be able to help, the police." The girl said.

"Weiss…" Ruby glared.

"It was just an idea!"

"Yeah a bad one."

"We need to hear Blake's side of the story." Yang said.

"I think when you hear it you'll see I was right." Weiss said smugly.

"Who cares who was right or wrong." I groaned "It's so irrelevant it doesn't matter, Blake's never been bad to us so there's no reason to treat her poorly. I think this whole thing is stupid."

"And I think Weiss' hair looks wonderful today!"

"WAH Penny!" Ruby yelped when the girl appeared behind us "Where did you come from?"

"Hello, what are you up to?" she asked.

"We're looking for your friend Blake." Yang explained.

"Oh you mean that Faunus girl?" Penny asked.

"Wait how did you know that?" Ruby asked.

"The cat ears." Penny pointed to her head.

"That was just a ribbon." I sighed feeling a shiver on my spine "Well…I mean it's tied kinda like ears."

"And she does like tuna." Ruby hummed.

"I'm starting to think we were stupid…" Yang said.

"Well where is she?" Penny asked.

"We don't know, she's been missing since Friday afternoon." Ruby told her.

"Ha!" Penny gasped hugging Ruby "Well that's terrible, but don't you worry I won't rest till we find your teammate Ruby, my friend…my friend Ruby."

"That's nice of you but we're okay." Ruby laughed "Right guys?"

"They left." I pointed to where Weiss and Yang had been "Something about not dealing with…this."

I gestured to Penny.

"Right…" Ruby sighed as a bush blew buy.

"Boy it's sure windy today." Penny noted.

"Yup…" Ruby hummed "Ah well we'll cover more ground split up like this, let's go Leona."

"Right Captain!" I followed her.

"Search Party ready!" Penny walked after us.

We walked in relative silence for a bit, Ruby and I making casual conversation with Penny.

"So Blake is your friend?" Penny asked "But you're mad at her?"

"Yes-we are." Ruby started "Well actually just Weiss is mad."

"Is she friends with Blake?" Penny asked.

"As you people say, it's complain." I nodded.

"Complicated." Ruby corrected me.

"Sorry It's complicated." I fixed my phrasing.

"Why?" Penny asked.

"Blake just might not be who we thought she was." Ruby frowned.

"Is she a man?!" Penny gasped.

"She better not be." I grumbled scratching my side.

_Not now…_

"No she's not…or at least I don't think she is." Ruby hummed "I mean not that it's a problem if she wants to-you know I think I'll shut up now. We don't know what she is, we didn't get the chance to talk before she ran off."

"I see, I don't have a lot of friends but if I did I know I'd want them to talk to me." Penny smiled.

"Me too." Ruby sighed as we kept walking off.

We wandered around town for pretty much the whole day and got no sign of Blake, not even Weiss or Yang, but by nightfall we started to hear explosions at the docks and Ruby was convinced Blake had to be there.

"HMM." I coughed a bit "I think I'll sit this one out Ruby."

"What?" she asked "But you always love to fight, I'm sure they'll be one there."

"Normally but I'm sure you can handle this." I walked away "I need to check something myself.

I separated from Ruby and Penny and slipped into a back street.

"Not now." I coughed into my hand, my palm turning red "Shit, I thought I would have a few more days, the flare ups are getting more aggressive and frequent, they used to only come up a few times a year but now it hasn't even been two months."

I started scratching my arms.

"Itchy…Itchy…" I rubbed my neck, my nails digging in "I can't…do that here…"

I shoved my tongue into my mouth and bit down "So itchy…"

"Hmm?" I heard someone walking towards me "Hey are you."

_YES!_

"RAH!" I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the wall "Sorry…you've got some bad luck."

"I wonder…" I pulled an arrow off my crossbow "How will you taste?"

"AH!" I stabbed his arm a few times, my arrow tip turning red.

"YES." I smiled licking the tip "So good."

"HMM!" I licked it clean and dropped the man who had passed out from shock "Sorry about that."

I put the arrow back into the crossbow and walked off, leaving the bruised man in the dark alley.

I lied to the others, and kept an important secret about the Amazons, we all have a power called **Bloodlust,** it comes from the tattoos, the more we kill the stronger we get but there's another side of it. By Ingesting Human, Amazon or Faunus Blood we get even stronger, but…it can also drive you mad which is why the Matriarchs forbid us from consuming the blood of our tribe and I broke that taboo…it was an accident at first during a fight with an Ursa…but then a few months later the itching started…this addicting itch and now it's gotten to the point where if I don't get blood…I feel like I'll lose myself. I staged…accidents, or snuck into the burial area and drained a corpse, hiding the blood where I could drink it if I needed it.

But now there's this insolent itching, I know I'm stronger…but I can't the itching till I get more blood.

But for now, I'm calm.

I went to the docks and met up with the others, no one asked where I had been and that was dine with me, Blake was okay and ready to come home, she explained everything about herself and the Faunus…the White Fang. I didn't care, right now I needed to sleep.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	7. Sickly

 

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

**Just a little fluff chapter**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"ACHOO!" I sneezed.

"Bless you." Ruby smiled.

"Thank you." I rubbed my nose.

Once class was over the two of us gathered our things and headed back towards are room.

"Ugh." I rubbed my head and flopped on my bed.

"What's wrong with you?" Yang asked.

"It's nothing." I sighed "Just not feeling…great."

_This isn't my usual withdrawal symptoms…I think I'm sick._

"Whoa!" Weiss touched my head "You're burning up!"

"I'm fine." I pushed her off "I'll just sleep it off."

* * *

**NO POV**

**The Next Day.**

"Ugh." Leona groaned.

"She doesn't look too good." Blake commented.

"Oh know she's been poisoned!" Ruby cried.

"I'm not poisoned." The girl in bed wrapped herself up in a blanket "I have Deathstalker venom in me, I have a natural immunity and can't be poisoned. I'm just sick."

"This is a pretty high fever for just sick." Yang looked at a thermometer.

"Shut up…I'm trying to sleep." Leona drifted off.

"What should we do?" Weiss asked "She's getting worse by the day."

"I wonder what's wrong with her?" Ruby frowned trying to wipe Leona's sweaty brow.

"She's got a cold." Blake blinked.

"This is rather extreme for a cold don't you think?" Yang asked.

"Not if she's never had one like this before." Blake said "Leona isn't from around here, her tribe have lived in relative seclusion of who knows how long then she comes here and starts interacting with us, gets close with germs she's probably never seen in the jungle and now her body doesn't know how to deal with the attack."

"So for us this is just a cold but this is some kind of super bug for her?" Weiss asked.

"Yep." Blake nodded "If it gets much worse she's gonna need a doctor."

"She doesn't need a doctor she's got me, Nurse Ruby!" the girl cheered.

"Do you want to call or should I?" Weiss asked.

"HEY!" Ruby yelled.

"Will all of you shut up!" Leona yelled "I'm trying to sleep!"

"Sorry."

* * *

**Leona's POV**

**Later**

"Ha…ha…" I panted.

"Hmm…" Ruby shivered a bit as she sat on her bed looking nervous.

"It's gonna be alright Leona." She put a cold towel on her head "The others went to get a doctor…"

_Dammit…I must have picked this up from that guy I attacked the other day…_

I shivered under the blankets.

_There's no way…some cold is gonna be what kills me…_

"GRR!" I grabbed Ruby's hand, hearing her wince a bit as I squeezed it trying to get rid of my own pain.

"Ouchy." Ruby pouted.

"Sorry." I hissed.

"Not its fine." She frowned a bit "Don't look so worried you'll be fine."

"I know that." I grumbled a bit.

"I ran across your friends in the halls, it would seem the inevitable has happened." Ozpin walked in "I had suspected you'd come down with something eventually."

"Mr. Ozpin!" Ruby gasped.

"You knew this would happen?" I hissed and coughed.

"Everyone gets sick, I just had a feeling you'd be more so." He shrugged matter of factly "Here."

"What's this?" Ruby asked.

"Medicine, she'll be fine by morning." He smiled "Do feel better."

_That man…he's always up to something…_

"Here Leona." Ruby poured it into my mouth.

"Bleh." I coughed "Tastes gross."

"Medicine usually does." She giggled.

"HMM!" I coughed a bit.

"Something wrong?"

"Just clearing my throat." I smiled "Thanks for staying with me, means a lot."

"It's fine, I'm your Captain." She laughed.

_Ruby is sweet…I wonder if she tastes the same…_

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	8. Food Fight

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

We were in the cafeteria eating lunch with our usual group. Blake was staring at her notebook and Yang was having Nora flip peas into her mouth.

"HMPH!" Ruby slammed a huge book down on the table.

"Uhh…" I looked at her confused.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat "Sisters, friends…Weiss."

"HEY!"

"Seven Minutes ago I had a dream." Ruby explained.

"How did you dream if you were awake?" I asked.

"I have a dream that we'll come together and have the most fun anyone has ever had!" she cheered.

"Wait is that my binder?" Weiss asked.

"It's fine." Ruby rolled her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.

"I mean we need to kick the semester off with a Bang!" Ruby cheered.

"Or a Yang." He sister smirked.

"Boo…boo Yang." I shook my head side to side and saw an apple whack Yang in the face.

"Look classes start back up tomorrow, that's why I planned a great day for us." Ruby explained.

"I don't know…I think I might sit this out." Blake sighed.

"Sitting out or not we should spend this day as a team." Weiss nodded.

"Wow, an actual heartfelt thought." I laughed before a pie suddenly hit me in the face "GRR…"

"Leona…" Ruby gulped.

"RAAH!" I flipped the whole table "You'll pay for that!"

"Umm…Ren did it?" Nora gulped.

"DIE!" I threw the whole table at her.

"WAH!"

"RAAAH!" I proceeded to start hurling tables at the girl.

"Hahaha!" Nora laughed dodging at them all and jumped up to the top "You can't touch the Queen of the castle!"

"GRRR!" I seethed and growled at her.

"Get them!" Ruby yelled.

"YEAH!"

Frankly I'm pretty sure we were all just making a mess at this point, hurling around useless fruits and vegetable, smashing tables like it was no big deal…not the most polite actions but I don't think any of us cared all that much.

"HMPH!" Nora snapped a pipe off the wall and jammed a melon into it to form a sort of makeshift hammer.

"RAH!" I slammed a whole cow leg on the ground.

"Where's you even get that?!" she yelled.

"Kitchen." I laughed licking my lips "RAH!"

I slammed into her, Nora blocking with her pipe. I flipped over her and slammed my meat weapon into her back. The two of us traded powerful strikes, both of us were powerhouses and pretty much immovable sluggers.

"RAHAHA!" I swung with one hand and tried to smash her only to miss "Oh boy."

"Take this!" Nora cheered spinning and slamming into me, sending me flying across the room.

"Ugh…" I groaned.

"NOOO!" Ruby cried hugging me "She was too young to die!"

"Ruby I'm fine." I blinked.

"Oh…Revenge!" She yelled running off.

"Okay…" I shrugged as Ruby used her speed to stir up a practical tornado and send everything in the room flying into our rivals, seemingly ending the fight.

"I think this got out of hand…" Yang said.

"You don't say." Blake sighed looking at the mess we made.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Forgot how much of Season 2 Episode 1 is stuff with Emerald and Mercury.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	9. Frustration

_Italics inidcate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"I don't really get the point of this game." I sighed watching Ruby and the other play some sort of board card game.

"Shush." She whispered "I'm thinking…okay… Yang prepare your kingdom for battle!"

"Bring it on!" the girl yelled.

_From what I understand this place, a library, is a quiet place for study, yet they yell here?_

"I deploy a Legionnaire Fleet!" Ruby slammed a card down "I get to fly right over your Ursa and attack your walls directly."

"Why would you avoid a battle, weak." I shook my head and cleared my throat "Ahem."

"Oh and due to your location my repair time is only one turn." Ruby said smugly.

"Pretty sneaky." Yang smirked "Good thing I had a trap card, Giant Nevermore!"

"This game is very confusing." I told Weiss.

"I don't really get it at all." She sighed.

"Why fight with tiny little pieces when we could go out and fight with real Grimm." I huffed.

"Uhh…that's not what I meant but sure." Weiss shrugged "That would certainly have more benefit than this nonsense."

"Okay Weiss it's your turn." Yang smiled.

"Uhh I have…absolutely no idea what's going on." She said.

"It's easy." Yang laughed "You're playing as-."

"Game is dumb!" I groaned.

"Wait these cards…you're just three moves away from winning and conquering Remnant." Ruby pouted.

"MWAHAHA!" Weiss laughed "Fear my forces!"

"Trap card." Yang held up a card "Your army is destroyed."

"This game is stupid." Weiss huffed.

"Okay Blake it's your turn." Yang said leaning back in her chair.

"Huh, I'm sorry what are we doing?" she asked.

"You're playing as Vale and trying to conquer the kingdoms of remnant." Yang explained.

"Stupid." I huffed "My land isn't even marked on this stupid game."

"Well this edition is like five years old." Ruby laughed "You're jungle was unmapped till recently."

"Can I play?" Jaune asked "I'm pretty good."

"Puny man trying to prove strength in board game." I shook my head "Can't cut it in the real world."

"I seriously doubt you possess the tactical cunning for this game." Weiss said.

"You attacked yourself two turns ago." Yang pointed out.

"Sorry Jaune we already have four players." Ruby smiled.

"Oh it's a party." Sun, Blake's new friend, walked up.

"Oh hey." Ruby nodded.

"I've been meaning to introduce you guys to my friend here." He pointed to another boy with blue hair.

"Aren't libraries for reading?" the guy asked.

"Thank you!" Ren yelled.

"Stop being a nerd." Sun rolled his eyes.

"Intellectual." The kid said.

"Stupid man get to the point, who is he." I tapped my foot.

"I'm Neptune." He smiled.

"Where are you from?" Weiss asked.

"Haven." He walked over to her and moved me from my seat to get close to Wiess "And what's your name Snow Angel."

"He touched me…I'm going to smash him!" I seethed.

"Down girl." Ruby patted my shoulder.

"I am Weiss." The girl said.

"Playing board games, never took you for that." Sun told Blake.

"Too many men…too much flirting." I grumbled "HMM!"

"Is that cold back?" Ruby asked as I coughed into my hand.

"Just…getting over the last bit." I said "I'm fine."

_Shit…again already?_

* * *

**Later**

We mucked around in the library for a while longer before heading back to the room, Blake had gone back earlier so she was already in her bed.

"Hold it." Weiss said as Blake walked by her "You've been quiet and antisocial the last few days."

"Sounds like standard Blake to me." Yang laughed sitting on her bed.

"Yes I get that it's kind of your thing." Wiess made air-quotes "But no you've been doing it more than usual and frankly it's unacceptable. We're a team, you're supposed to let us know if something is wrong."

"So then what's wrong!" Weiss stood on a chair "Oh…"

She quickly put the chair back "So?"

"I just don't understand why everyone is so calm." Blake said.

"You're still thinking about Torchwick?" Ruby asked.

"Who cares about that guy." I rubbed my shoulder "Next time we see him I'll crush him, if I had been there the first time I'm sure we could have stopped him."

"Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it." Blake said "Something big is happening and no one is doing a damn thing about it."

"Ozpin told us not to worry, leave it to the police and the huntsmen." Yang shrugged "They can handle it."

"Can they?!" Blake yelled "They don't know the White Fang like I do."

"I'm sure between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, fighting for freedom…and just straight up fighting." Weiss looked at the four of us "I'm sure you four think you're all set to go out on a crusade for justice but I will once again speak with reason, we are students, we can't handle something like this, we're not ready."

"Well they won't just sit there and wait!" Blake yelled "They're already planning, something is coming whether we like it or not!"

"Okay fearless leader." I looked at Ruby "What's the plan?"

"Okay…all in favor of becoming the youngest huntresses to single handedly take down and evil organization conspiring against Vale raise your say Aye!"

"YES!" Yang yelled.

"Let's fight." I smirked.

"Well it could be fun." Weiss shrugged.

"No one said aye." Ruby pouted.

* * *

**Later**

"HMM!" I rolled around in my bed, that uncomfortable itching running through my body.

School was pretty much the worst place for me to get the shakes like this, in town I can just sneak into an alley and mug someone, that doesn't work well in school.

"Hngh." I bit lip and dug my nails into my arm "I can't…ACK!"

I coughed, my body sweating a bit somehow the others were all in a deep sleep, undisturbed by my sounds as I trudged out of the room, or so I thought.

"Leona?" Ruby leaned out the door "Are you okay?"

_I need it…I need it…_

"Ruby." I jumped her and pinned her arms against the wall

"Hey!"

"I need it." I told her "Help me Ruby."

"I…what do you need?" she said confused.

I cut her arm with a small knife, red blood trickling out the small cut.

_Such a deep red…just like her hair._

"AAHH!" she yelped in pain.

"HMM!" I started licking her arm "delicious…"

"What are you…doing?" Ruby panted.

"I'm sorry…" I licked her arm "I'll explain…in the morning."

I fell back and closed my eyes.

* * *

**Later**

I woke up in bed, I figured Ruby had dragged my back into the room after I passed out.

I met Ruby on the roof the next morning, her right arm was wrapped near the bicep area. The conversation was awkward but she was thankfully understanding.

"So you're basically addicted to blood?" she asked "Like a drug?"

"That's the best way to put it I suppose." I shrugged "I'm sorry I jumped you like that it was just…I was so itchy."

"It's fine, I'm just glad your back to normal." She smiled "If it comes up again just let me know with this new mission you'll need to be in top shape so if you get those withdraw symptoms again…I'm more than happy to share a little with you."

"Ruby…" I lowered my eyes "Thank you. Can we…just keep this between us?"

"Sure." She smiled.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**


	10. Out and About

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

We were preparing to investigate, I had decided to change up my outfit like the others, rather than brown fur I was now sporting my snowy look with white fur bracers and paw like gloves on my hands.

"Okay today is the day." Ruby smiled jumping off her bed "The investigation begins!"

"Glad to see you're taking this seriously." Weiss sighed.

"We've got a plan so we're being serious." Yang said.

"Plan is useless we should just find someone and beat the information out of them." I shrugged.

"You're plan will just get us all in trouble." Ruby sighed "Now then does everyone remember their roles?"

"You and I will check the Schnee records for robberies and inconsistencies." Weiss said.

"The White Fang has regular recruitment meetings, if I can get in I can probably figure out what they're planning." Blake nodded.

"I have a shady friend to get information out of." Yang smirked.

"And I'll wait for someone to call me so I can fight stuff." I said "Otherwise I'll be looking for general information."

"Okay and we'll meet up tonight with Yang to go over everything." Ruby smiled "Let's do this!"

"Yeah let's do this!" Sun cheered appearing in our window.

"Grr, spy." I got ready to shoot him with the arrows on my left arm.

"How'd you get up there?" Blake asked forcefully pushing my arm down.

"It's easy I do it all the time." Sun shrugged.

"What?"

"I climb trees." He shrugged again before jumping into the room "So are we getting back at that Torchwick guy?"

"We are going to investigate the situation." Blake told him "As a team."

"Sorry Sun, no getting friends involved." Ruby added.

"I don't work with men either." I glared.

"That's dumb, you should always get friends involved." He said "It's why I brought Neptune."

"Sup." The blue haired boy leaned in.

"You climbed?" I asked.

"I have my ways." He smirked "But seriously can I come in we're really high up out here?"

"Fine." Ruby sighed "I'll go with Weiss, Sun can go with Blake and Neptune with Yang since she's got no partner."

"I'll stay alone." I looked at her "That's fine."

* * *

**Later**

"Hmm…" I stood in the bustling square, there were a lot of people but one thing bothered me the most.

There were posters describing crimes and people wanted for them.

"Young girl with long red hair wanted for assaults." I mumbled "Maybe they want Pyrrha. Who am I kidding, that man must have reported what happened.

_I'll have to make sure to lay extra low for a while now. I knew attacking people wasn't something to do, but I had to…not that it's a viable excuses to these people. Civilianization, they have so many rules and regulations yet they hamper each other so much, they willingly hamstring themselves…I see no reason in it._

"Ouf." I grunted when someone walked into me, it was my own fault for not paying attention to where I was going "Sorry."

I looked at the girl I had knocked over as she stood up, she was much shorter than me but that was the most normal part about her, her hair was dyed half pink, her eyes were two different colors whether that was because of contacts or her genetics I couldn't tell, she was wearing a pure white coat with pink highlights and a pair of black gloves and tight brown pants.

_She certainly has a unique look._

"Hmm." She looked me over with a smirk.

"Something wrong?" I growled a bit.

She simply shook her head no.

"Oh." I looked down and saw a bag "This belong to you."

She nodded yes.

"You don't talk much do you?" I asked.

She shook no.

I reached down and handed her the slightly heavy bag and the umbrella next to it.

"Say, have we met before?" I asked "You feel awfully familiar."

She merely blinked a few times before smirking, shrugged and shaking her head a bit.

"I don't know how to interpret that at all." I sighed.

"HmHmHm." She laughed with her mouth closed before scampering off.

"What a strange girl." I walked away "Still…she felt awfully familiar."

* * *

**Later**

It took till after sun down but then the call came from Blake saying she needed back up stat, and of course I was all over it.

"RAAH!" I jumped down and landed on the speedway, a huge mech chasing after Blake and Sun "GRRRAAH!"

I pulled my blade off my back and slammed it down, knocking a chunk of the road up to blast it back a few feet and stop its assault.

"Nice timing." Blake panted "Torchwick's inside."

"I've been waiting all day for this." I smiled wide.

"You know there are people on this road right?" Sun asked.

"That robot didn't seem to care." I smirked holding my cleaver horizontally to block it "RRRAAAH!"

I pushed forward and slowed the mech down as Yang rode by on her bike, Neptune on the back.

"HHMM!" I swept my cleaver up and then swiped to the side, sparking against one of the arm, the mech throwing a car at me.

"HMPH!" I swiped my blade and slashed it in two "More! Come is that all you got!"

"Little brat!" he swiped at me as Neptune jumped off Yang's bike and jammed his weapon into the arm joint.

"WAAH!" he yelped as the bot spun and tried to throw him off.

"Stupid man!" I shot an arrow off the bow on my left arm the mech zooming past "Don't get in my way! Yang!"

"Right!" She grabbed my hand and revved the engine more, sending me sliding forward.

"HMPH!" Weiss showed up and froze the roadway allowing me to slide at a high speed and slice the arm off the bot my weapon slamming down and cracking the road, the rest of the machine sliding off to the lower level.

"Hahaha!" I laughed as I assembled below with the others "This is great!"

"Don't get out of control yet." Weiss sighed.

"Let's go!" Ruby yelled.

Weiss quickly froze the ground and Yang punched it, stirring up a dense misty fog that allowed Blake, Ruby and myself to move into an ambush position.

"GRA!" I jumped on the back and planted my blade in it's back, ripping open the cockpit "Come out and play, let's spill you guts!"

"Leona!" Ruby yelled.

"HMPH!" I pulled my cleaver out and jumped away as the remaining arm shot of a bullet that I thankfully dodged.

The mech started firing off missiles and other explosives to try and blast up back.

" **Root Wall!"** I raised some underground plants to protect us.

Weiss quickly buffed Blake and let her get off a blade dance that sent waves of pressure out to get rid of the remaining missiles.

"HAA!" Ruby dashed by "Leona!"

"Alright." I licked my teeth "Let's go! RAHAHA!"

Ruby and I each got under the legs of the mech and started slashing at it, knocking it way off balance allowing me to jump up.

"HHHAA!" I slammed down and cut off the second arm "RAAAH! YES!"

_I feel so alive!_

"It's got no arms." Weiss said as the bot reorganized and tacked Yang.

"Yang!"

"She'll be fine!" Ruby yelled "Yang gets stronger the more she gets hit."

"HRRAAA!" Yang threw one punch and blew a leg off the mech "RAAAH!"

"Awesome!" I laughed.

_Hmm…shit, all this fighting must have stirred up my bloodlust…I'll need to feed soon._

"There he is!" I snapped back to life the second I saw Yang blow the cockpit apart.

_A perfect chance to feed._

"HRAA!" I pulled my blade back and dashed in ready to draw blood.

"I just got that cleaned." Torchwick sighed as I got ready to slice him in half.

"HMPH!" I was suddenly stopped when my attack was stopped at the point of my cleaver by a mere…umbrella.

"GRR!" I looked passed.

"HmHmHm." The girl with the two-tone hair giggled.

"It's you." I growled.

"Well this has been fun, always a pleasure." Torchwick tipped his hat "Neo."

"Neo?" I looked at the girl "Wait…you're-."

"HmHmHm." She smirked a bit.

"DIE!" I lifted my blade up and slammed it down, only for their image to shatter "She got away…"

"Crud." Ruby sighed.

"Ha…ha…ha." I panted.

"Leona is something wrong?" she asked.

"That girl." I growled a bit "Neopolitan."

_She changed her hair color...eyes too, is that her illusion or just a new look?_

"You know her or something?" Weiss asked.

"She…one of us." I looked at her flying away in a chopper "An Amazon. I'll explain later, lets get home first."

"Hey what happened to Sun and Neptune?" Yang asked.

"Who cares." Blake shrugged.

"Ruby." I paused and grabbed the girl "I…need you help."

"Hmm. Oh!" she gasped understanding what I meant "Okay, I'll try and find some time, can you hold on for a bit."

"Yeah. I'll be fine for a few hours." I told her.

* * *

**AN**

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	11. Neo

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"So just who was that girl?" Weiss asked as we got back to the room, Ruby cleverly hiding her recently cut arm.

"Neopolitan, or Neo for short." I said sitting down "She's from my village, she's an amazon. I hadn't expected to see her here…she's vanished when we were just kids."

"What happened?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know…" I looked out the window "One day they said she was going to be taking her training very seriously and didn't have time to play anymore. Neo is part of the Matriarch's bloodline, she would have taken over the village someday so it wasn't surprising to hear that she didn't have time for normal village kids like us. There's so much I need to learn about her…why is she here, I thought I was the only person to leave the village?"

"We can't do much more about her right now." Blake said "We can only assume she shows up, I'm sure we'll learn more about her the more we learn about Torchwick and his plan."

"Right!"

We all packed it in for the night, exhausted from our day's hard work.

"Neo…"

" _ **Leona…do you ever wonder what's out there…out passed all the trees?"**_

" _ **Why bother, we have everything we need here, fruit from the trees, animals to hunt."**_

" _ **I just…feel like there's more."**_

" _ **You're gonna be Matriarch someday."**_

" _ **Well when I am then I'll send explorers out passed the forbidden wall, then we'll know what it's like out there, where menfolk come from, the world they speak of."**_

" _ **You crazy…but I bet it be fun, when we're older let's go see the world, I bet there's fun stuff to fight passed the wall."**_

"Ugh…" I shook my head a bit "That was a long time ago."

* * *

**Later**

A few days later we were back in class, we kept up our instigations on the side while we weren't' studying, but we hadn't had any more sightings since the other day. Today we were sparring, or more specifically Pyrrha was sparring against whole teams and wiping the floor with them, she's something alright.

"I know that's a tough act to follow but we have time for one more." Professor Goodwitch said "Any Volunteers?"

"Me!" I growled.

"I'm not sure if I have the time for one of your spars." She told me "Besides you fought earlier, perhaps another time."

"Boo." I huffed.

"Uhh Miss Belladonna?" She moved to my teammate "You've been rather docile as of late would you like to participate?"

"Uhh…" Blake paused.

"I'll do it." Mercury raised his hand.

Mercury Black, visiting student that came with his friend Emerald, I don't like him, and not just because he's a man but something about him is…off. Emerald too, the dark-skinned girl with the green bob, both give me a bad vibe.

"Mercury is it?" the teacher asked "Very well, let's find you an opponent. Leona are you still interested?"

"Of course-"

"Actually I wanna fight her." He pointed at Pyrrha.

"What." I growled "Are you underestimating me man filth?"

"Me?" Pyrrha was somewhat surprised.

"Miss Nikos has just finished a match, I recommend you choose a different opponent." Miss Goodwitch told him.

"I wanna fight him more now." I growled.

"No it's fine." Pyrrha said "I'm happy to oblige."

The fight was allowed to happen, I was mostly pissed that I wasn't allowed to participate but it was interesting to watch, Pyrrha had the upper hand for most of the fight her sword and shield gave her more flexibility than Mercury's kicks but the second Pyrrha was about to win he quit.

"All men are cowards." I grumbled as we left "A good fight spoiled by a lackluster ending."

"It was just a spar." Weiss told me.

"So what." I looked at her "The last thing you see in a fight is the ending, and if the ending sucks you leave with a bad taste, it's the worst."

I heard people talking about some dance coming up, apparently Weiss and Yang were working on planning it. I failed to understand it but Ruby explained that it's like a party to relax and celebrate, I had a rough idea, it was sort of like a celebratory feast. Blake wasn't keen on going but I thought it sounded interesting, although apparently I was going to have to wear a dress."

"I hate this." I looked at Ruby, standing there in a red and brown dress that hugged my body "It's too tight, it shows my…breasts too much."

"I think you look awesome." She smiled "Did anyone ask you to go with them?"

"I think some boy asked me, I told him never to speak to me again." I told her.

"That was mean." She said "He probably worked himself up to ask you."

"I'd never be some man's guest." I huffed.

"You're going alone?" she asked.

"Yes, aren't you as well?" I asked.

"Hahaha…yeah." She sighed.

"Then let's go together." I told her.

"HUH?! W-We can't go I mean."

"I fail to see the problem here." I blinked "You're supposed to bring someone with you right, then let's go together, rather than both alone."

"I guess." She blushed a bit.

"Good." I smiled "Oh, the cuts on your arm, will they show on your dress?"

"It's fine I can cover them up or something." She smiled "Don't worry about it."

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Mostly set up in this chapter.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	12. Dance

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"I need you to pick a table cloth." Weiss told Ruby, slamming two little cuts on the table.

"They look the same." she said.

"I don't even know why I asked." Weiss groaned.

"Neither do we." I laughed "Who cares so long as it works."

"You have no sense of style Jungle Girl." She told me.

"Haa…who cares if Blake's not coming." Ruby sighed.

"You can have fun without her, besides I'm sure she'll come around for a bit." I shrugged "She's stubborn like that."

"No dollies!" Yang groaned arguing with Weiss over the set up.

"If I don't get these you don't get the fog machine."

"Fog Machine?" Ruby and I looked at each other.

"I have a feeling this dance is going to get out of hand." I shook my head.

"Your dance is gonna have fog machines?" Neptune asked as he and Sun just let themselves in.

"How rude, you should knock." I growled.

"We were thinking about it." Weiss said dropping her argument.

"She's spineless with that man." I snarled.

"Some people get like that with people they like." Ruby shrugged.

"I suppose." I nodded back.

"Everyone excited to play dress up?" Sun asked.

"No."

"Yeah right." Ruby and I scoffed.

"Laugh all you want but I'll be turning heads." Yang smirked.

"What will you two be wearing?" Weiss asked the boys.

"This." Sun pointed to himself "I'm not exactly a shirt and tie kinda guy."

"So we've noticed." Yang said flatly.

"So what's Blake think of all this?" he asked.

"She's being…Blake." I shrugged.

"I still can't figure out how to change her mind." Ruby frowned.

"Just trust me Blake will be there." Yang told us "Stop worrying so much."

"You keep saying that." I shook my head "But you've yet to convince her."

* * *

**A Day Later**

"Stupid shoes…stupid dress." I grumbled a bit.

"Hmm…I think it looks nice." Ruby told me.

"Oh." I looked back at hers "Uh…yours too then."

"You're not very good at this whole compliment thing are you?" she laughed.

"No not really." I sighed a bit.

"But yeah, I hate wearing this stuff too." She said as we approached the hall "But it's for one night and Yang is hosting so I'll suck it up."

"I suppose I can do the same." I sighed brushing my hair back

Ruby was in a red sleeveless dress while I was wearing a longer auburn one that had sleeves down to the wrist and little ring things you slid over your finger to cover the hands, it was a little much for me but given my stature it was one of the only ones in the store that fit. Ruby was just in a dress though she did have bracelet like jewelry on that I believed she was using to hide the cuts I made to her wrists.

"Wow!" Yang clapped as we entered "You tow look amazing."

"Ugh, how does Weiss fight in this?" Ruby played with her hem.

"I agree." I shivered "I want to go change, I feel like I'm being started at by men."

"That's usually a good thing." Yang laughed.

We hung around the dance for a while, Ruby danced with me for a little bit mostly just for fun. Yang was right after all, Blake showed up and started to enjoy herself, I wasn't sure what she said but I felt happy that she came.

"Yang have you seen Ruby?" I asked looking around "She went to get a drink and I haven't seen her yet."

"Hmm, I think she might have left, I'm not sure." Yang told me "She said her feet hurt so she might have gone to get some different shoes. Why feeling lonely without your date?"

"Not really." I shrugged.

"Why is Ruby not a good date or something, what are you saying about my little sister!" she half yelled at me.

"Uhh?" I was confused.

"I'm just messing with you." She smiled "I'm glad you took Ruby though, it's no fun going without a date…but."

"But what?" I asked.

"You and Ruby sure have been spending a lot of time alone together." She gave me a bit of a serious look "Sneaking off, talking in whispers, is there something going on between you two?"

I shrugged "Not that I know of."

"Alright." She nodded a bit "I don't care what choices Ruby makes about her own love life, guy, girl, animal…okay maybe not that last one. But what I do care about is that she picks someone good, it doesn't matter who they are if they break my sister heart…I'll break them got it."

I smirked a bit "Noted, but as I said there's nothing presently going on between Ruby and I, just friends."

"Alright this conversation is getting way too heavy." Yang laughed walking off "See ya."

Yang walked away and I leaned on a pillar, if we were being frank in my village Ruby would be the type of girl others would clamor for, a real maiden who could chose her lover as she saw fit…and I would probably by right there fighting for her too. I don't know iff Ruby actually has those sorts of feelings, but I'm content with where we are now.

"Hmm." I saw a hand enter my vision "Oh, you're asking to dance?"

I looked up and saw a man, he was shorter than me by a bit, had soft features, blue eyes, brown hair tied up in one of those manbuns. He was wearing a suit that made it hard to get a read on his body type.

"Sorry." I looked away "I don't dance with men, especially puny ones like you."

"Hmm." He smirked a bit and spoke in a very hushed tone, his voice almost sounded forced "For me?"

"You?" I was confused.

I looked down at the girlish boy, his eyes flashed two colors for a moment.

"Neo?" I gasped "How did you-?"

"Shush." She whispered with a finger to her lips "Just…dance."

Confused and aggravated I took her hand and let her lead me onto the floor for a slow dance, I wanted to kick her ass, to beat the answers out of her, my blood boiled and my grip tightened…but I knew how much this dance met to Yang and Weiss, they had worked so hard, everyone had been so stressed recently they needed this break. Despite my nature I swallowed my fighting spirit and listened.

"Be…careful." Neo said in a rasped voice "It's…not…safe."

"Neo." I looked down "Your voice?"

She loosened her tie and showed a large scar like burn across her lower neck.

"Neo what happened to you, how did you get that…how did you get here?" I asked.

"Another…time." She wheezed a bit "Leona…trust…no one…"

"Neo I don't understand." I was getting more frustrated.

"This world…isn't like the jungle." She kissed my cheek "Please…be…safe. May…Mother Nature…guide you."

"Neo!" I tried to grab her wrist as she left, only for the air to shatter and her to vanish into thin air, no one else having ever known she'd been here.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Obviously, I'm making Neo a character more intertwined with Leona's story, in order to best do that she needs to be able to talk a little bit. It'll be explained later why she doesn't talk much.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	13. Feild Work

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"YAA!" I yawned a bit sitting in my usual spot on the floor "She's not back yet."

"I have a feeling she's gonna be a while." Blake was sitting on her bed.

"Do you think Ruby's gonna be in trouble?" Yang asked.

"I don't see why, she fought off an intruder there's no reason to punish her." Weiss said trying to be too adult for the situation.

Apparently when she left the dance Ruby ended up seeing a suspicious person lurking around and rather than get back up from any of us she went in alone. The person snuck into one of the taller towers but thankfully Ruby got out mostly unscathed and there was minimal property damage, although I don't think the administration was thrilled with her.

"I'm back." Ruby sighed opening the door.

"Well, how'd it go?" Yang asked.

"It was fine." Ruby shrugged "They just asked if I knew who it was and if there was anything I could share. I…dropped a hint about Torchwick's hideout."

"So now we're on equal footing with them." I looked over "That and we better hope no one there was undercover or they'll know we're on to them."

"That was a risky move." Weiss said

"Yeah…but I think it was the right one." Blake tried to reassure Ruby.

"I hope so." She sighed.

"Oh I know what'll cheer you up." Yang smiled picking up a package "This came from dad."

"What is it?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know I haven't opened it, I figured I'd wait for you." Yang said.

"Oh boy something from home!" Ruby cheered ripping into it.

The tube popped open and a large scroll like tube slid onto the ground and bounced around like a jumping bean before growing legs and ears.

"It's…a dog?" Weiss looked down.

"Ruff!" the barked at her.

"It's Zwei!" Ruby cheered.

"He sent a dog?!" Blake yelled standing behind me in a somewhat nervous manner.

"Via the mail no less!" Weiss said.

"I take it that's not a normal way to transport a pet." I nodded looking at the tube "How'd it even fit?"

"Oh he does stuff like this all the time." Yang laughed as the stubby dog licked Ruby's face.

"Are you talking about your father or the dog?" Blake asked jumping up onto her bed.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me this mangy mutt is…" Weiss looked at the dog "So adorable and will live with us forever!"

"Please keep it far away from my belongings." Blake glared.

"In my tribe we don't have dogs." I growled "We mostly only raise farm like jungle animals, oxen and such…though we did have a monkey that hung around a lot like a pet."

"All first year students please report to the amphitheater." An announcements came over the PA.

"What do we do with the dog?" Blake asked "We can't leave it here, it'll pee all over. Not to mention this assembly is about those field work experiences."

"We can't leave the dog for a week." Weiss said.

"Oh look a letter." Yang reached into the tube "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a couple days so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of, I included all the food you should need. Lots of Love Taiyang."

Yang dumped out the tube and a few dozen cans fell out.

"Wait I still don't get how that fit…" I wondered.

"Well he can't operate a can opener!" Weiss groaned.

"He'll manage let's go!" Yang headed out.

"HMPH!" Blake jumped across the room.

"I'll miss you so much new best friend." Weiss cooed.

"Bye dog." I blinked "Coming Ruby?"

"Uhh yeah one second." She called out.

* * *

**Later**

We headed to the assembly and listened to Ozpin speak for what felt like forever. It was all philosophical bull crap about colors and names and other nonsense kids our age don't give two you know what's about. The real meat of this assembly was that we were getting to go and shadow some real hunters and huntresses on a mission, honest fighting and field work, something right down my line.

"This is perfect, we just need to shadow someone in the southeast and maybe we can figure out more about Torchwick." Ruby smiled.

"Neo too." I added "But whatever it is let's make it something fun, I wanna kill stuff."

"Search and Destroy then." Weiss walked over to one of the boards.

"Look there, Quadrant 5." Ruby pointed typing our team in "It's in the southeast and needs Grimm cleared out."

"Mission unavailable to First Years." It buzzed.

"Wonderful." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Any more ideas?" Blake asked.

"We mail ourselves there?" Ruby suggested.

"That's dumb." Weiss sighed.

"That's one option." Ozpin walked up behind us "It was determined that the concentration of Grimm in that area was too extreme for first years…seems that region is rather popular lately. And I can't shake this feeling you five will end up there no matter what job you choose."

"What makes you say that?" Ruby tried laughing him off.

"We can handle it." I grumbled "Let us go kill stuff."

"I still have many questions about the lot of you…but I get the feeling I'll never get the answers." He sighed "So how about this, rather than you all breaking the rules, let's just bend them."

He clicked a few buttons and overrode the system for us.

"We won't let you down." Ruby smiled.

"Don't thank me yet, it won't be easy so trust your huntsman and don't let him down, he can send you back if you are unsatisfactory." He walked away "Oh good luck."

"Sometimes I think that guy knows too much for his own good." I grumbled.

We grabbed our things and headed outside.

"That little pep talk of his was supposed to be uplifting right?" Yang asked.

"Well it was the truth." Blake shrugged.

"Who cares, the more danger the more fun the fights will be." I smiled.

On our way out there we passed by Velvet and her team who got back from their mission, they noted that there were a lot of Grimm about.

"We're not backing down!" Ruby cheered "Besides it won't just be us we'll have a huntsman too!"

"Hello ladies." Professor Oobleck greeted us "Ready to fight for your lives."

"Aw crap." Yang sighed.

"Fight for our lives?!" Weiss gasped a bit.

"Sounds great!" I laughed.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**I don't know why but when I was writing this chapter I kept miswriting Blake and "Black" for some weird reason, I kept having to correct it.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	14. Mountain Glenn Arrival

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"Uhh Professor Oobleck?" Weiss was a little confused.

"Might as well leave the bags at home girls, you'll be shadowing a huntsman on what is essentially a recon mission, we'll be making camp in whatever defensible positions we find." He told us "And it's Doctor Oobleck, I didn't earn my PHD for fun after all. Come now we're already three minutes behind!"

"It's fine guys." Ruby smiled "We'll just go save the world with Doctor Oobleck…okay it doesn't sound better out loud."

"I don't know what you're all so bothered about." I shrugged "We're going to the same place regardless of who it's with."

"You're going to save the world!" Nora yelled "Without me?! That makes me sad, and hungry but that last one's not your fault."

"Sounds exciting." Jaune smiled "Where are you going?"

"Outside the kingdom a bit." Ruby told them.

"Us too!" Nora smiled.

"We're going to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village Pyrrha explained.

"We don't leave till tomorrow." Ren explained.

"Then you can hang out with us tonight." Neptune said.

"Oh great, it's a party." I grumbled walking away a bit.

"We'll be shadowing a detective, we'll even get junior badges." Neptune said.

"Well wish us luck." Ruby sighed looking back at our plane out.

We jumped aboard and started to fly out of town.

"I guess we were just surprised is all." Yang said "I never saw you as much of a fighter."

"I fancy myself more of an intellectual but I've had my fair share of tussles." The Doctor told us.

"You look weak." I looked at him "Stick to teaching."

"Well given my experience with history and archeology the Headmaster thought it fit to assign this task to me." He said "Fighting skills being what they may be."

"What does history have to so with this?" Weiss asked.

"It's the backbone of society silly girl!" he told her "It's probably a few organs too!"

"And that means…?"

"The southeast sector is full of dense forests and deep caves." He continued "But also home to a great disaster."

"Mountain Glenn, right?" Ruby asked.

"Oh that's right, it was an expansion that got overrun by Grimm." Yang nodded.

"Correct, and now it stands abandoned and rundown." He said.

"Sounds like a good place for a hideout." Blake commented.

"Precisly." Doctor Oobleck adjusted his glasses.

We touched down a few minutes later and got out, although this abandoned cityscape was just that, run down buildings with nothing around.

"Your very first mission has begun, from this moment on you must do as I say." He told us.

"Hmm." We all nodded.

"Ruby, I thought I told you to leave your bags back at school?"

"Yes but you hadn't told us to listen to you yet." Ruby countered "So…I didn't."

"Hmm…well you're not wrong." Oobleck shrugged "Very well, leave it here and we'll pick it up upon our return."

"Umm, but…I…" Ruby shifted nervously.

"What could possibly be that important?" he asked.

"WOOF!" Ruby's dog jumped out of her bag.

"Hmm, that's kinda important." I blinked.

"Zwei…get back in the bag." Ruby whispered.

"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and horror and you brought a dog…"

"I Uhh…"

"GENIUS!" he yelled.

"What?!" we all gasped.

"Canines are known for their keen senses, making them excellent companions for hunts like ours!" he lifted the dog up.

"Hear that, I'm a genius." Ruby smirked.

"Cool." I smirked at her.

"What are your orders?" Blake asked him.

"Initiative I like it!" he pointed "As you know this has been marked as hotspot for Grimm activity, now there are many possible explications one of which is Grimm."

"So do we get to exterminate them?" I asked eagerly "I wanna hunt them all."

"What?" Ruby asked.

"Grimm as in a creature of Grimm, there's about one a hundred yards from us at this very moment." He pointed.

"Wait what?!" the others turned around.

"Cool." I smiled "Let's kill it."

"Wait." He said "There are many reasons a Grimm could be attracted to this area, most notably their attracting to negativity,"

"So then what now?" Ruby asked.

"We wait and track it." He said.

"Tsk, the boring part of a hunt." I grumbled putting my blade back and twitching my fingers "And just after I got my adrenaline pumping."

"How long might that take?" Yang asked.

"Who knows could be hours, days, weeks, why Grimm have been known to stay isolated for-there's the whole pack." He pointed.

"Things got exciting real quick!" I smiled.

"What?" Wiess gasped.

"And now they see us." The teacher nodded.

"WHAT?!" Weiss yelled.

"I said now they've seen us!" he spoke louder.

"I heard you the first time!" Weiss groaned.

"So tracking is out, fighting is in?" I begged.

"An accurate assumption, especially since they appear to be charging us now."

"Alright!" I pulled out Bloodsplitter and slammed it into the ground "RAHHH!"

I ripped the blade up and swung out in front of me, slashing through a few in one broad stroke.

"More come on!" I roared at them "Fight me!"

The others were holding off some on their own but I could feel the rush of battle pumping through my veins.

"RAHH!" I slammed my blade down before running up the length and shooting my crossbow at another's head.

We continued on, I was having a great time killing tons of Grimm and raising my kill count again and again.

"Keep them coming!" I laughed.

"Miss Lionheart." Oobleck spoke to me "What interest's you so much about fighting?"

"It's fun." I laughed pulling my cleaver out of a Grimm "The blood pumping action, the adrenaline rush, I love every second of it."

"And why are you here?" he asked.

"Because the village said so, I'm here to learn first, fight second." I growled "I'm supposed to learn about your people, why your settlements like these fail while we succeed in the jungle."

"And why do you suppose that is?" he followed up.

"Because Amazons aren't weak like you, and we're not as selfish either." I said "You people depend on your huntsman to protect you, in my village everyone fights for each other, only the young are kept safe from fighting, but even they aren't coddled needlessly."

"I see…" he hummed a bit "And for you, besides your mission why are you here.

"GRR!" a Grimm growled at me.

"GRR!" I snarled back "ACK!"

I wiped my lips and ran back in to fight "Because there's more to fight, and as long as I stick with Ruby I can keep fighting strong things, that's all I really care about!"

We cleaned out the last area and made camp for the night. I set up with Yang, Blake and Weiss while Oobleck and Ruby did secure the perimeter.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	15. A Train Ride From Hell

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

We were camping out for the night, Ruby had first watch and the rest of us were taking the time to relax in some sleeping bags. I don't think anyone was actually asleep since I could hear Blake and Yang mumbling.

"Hmm." I grumbled a bit leaning on a wall as I slept sitting up "Stirring over what Oobleck said…"

"How'd you know?" Yang asked.

"That was his point, to think you'd all get manipulated by that man." I looked away "He's gotten in your heads. All I want to do is fight and kill Grimm, who cares if that makes me some kind of monster."

"You don't think it's strange?" Blake asked me "You're not the most…calm person. You could use a way to relax."

"Fighting does relax me." I said "Getting in that kind of zone, the adrenaline rush calms me in a way…I can't explain it but if I don't get to beat on stuff my blood feels like it's gonna boil."

"Do all Amazons act so…violent?" Weiss asked.

"No, not all of us at least." I said.

"Then perhaps you should think about that a little bit, you are the first impression for your people." She said "Whether you like it or not when you represent something you have to think about how your actions will affect them as well."

"I guess…" I looked off.

"You face your problems, all I ever do is run away." Blake frowned "When you found out I was a Faunus I ran, when I saw what was happening to the White Fang I ran…even my semblance is to run away and leave myself behind…all I ever do is run away."

"At least you have something you want to strive for." Yang sighed "I just…go with the flow. I can't do it forever, I like not knowing what tomorrow will bring, it's why I want to become a huntress but my goals just happen to line up, I'm not doing this to be some hero."

"A lost girl, one looking for a fresh start, one who's always running from the past, and a crazed bloodthirsty warrior…I suppose we all aren't the picture of heroic hunters." I commented "We all just use it as a means for an end, seems to be the theme for this team."

"Nah, Ruby wants this." Yang sighed "She's always wanted to be a storybook hero…It's why she trains and tries so hard."

"Still…she's just a kid." Weiss said.

"She's only two years younger than us." Blake told her "We're all kids."

"At the end of the day this is still a job, fantasies or not." Weiss said "It's not what we thought it would be, but it's what we chose."

"Enough talking…let's sleep." I laid down "We've wasted enough time talking."

* * *

**Later**

"Hey…where's Ruby?" Yang asked waking us up.

"How would I know, I was sleeping." I coughed and cleared my throat.

"RUFF!" Zwei scampered back in.

"What's going on?" Blake slowly woke up.

"Grab your weapons." Oobleck said "Your leader may be in trouble."

"Hmm." I strapped my cleaver to my back "Let's get going."

_What are you doing Ruby…it's not like her to run off like that._

We followed the dog out into the streets and he led us to Ruby's scythe.

"Do you think she fell?" Weiss looked down a crater.

"If she fell her scythe wouldn't have fallen this far back." I picked up the weapon.

"Oh my…wait of course!" the Professor looked down the hole "How could I have been so stupid!"

"Of course what?" Blake asked.

"What's wrong?" Yang added.

"This city was previously home to thousands of people, people who needed to commute!" he pointed out "They developed a subway system to get back and forth to the main city, Grimm attacks increase population in desperate need of shelters so they evacuate into the metro tunnels and find but wild forest and deep caves! This isn't an underground crime network, but an actual Underground Crime Network."

"Mole people?" I blinked.

"Ugh." Weiss sighed.

"Actually, in a matter of speaking Miss Lionheart is right." The Professor said "In a last-ditch effort the people took up residence in the caves originally cleared for the subway, they lived underground until…an exploratory explosion opened up a hidden cavern filled with subterranean types of Grimm. The tunnels were sealed off after that and created the world's largest tomb…"

"If Ruby is down there, we must find her quickly." He said taking out his weapon.

"Then let's get down there." I started climbing down.

The rest followed behind me, the caves were quite, you could hear the dripping of condensing water on the walls and squeaks of mice and bats. There was a pair of rails running down the length of the cavern for the train to travel.

"Hmm…that way." I pointed.

"Are you sure?" Yang asked.

"There are drag marks pulling that way." I said "If something was being moved through this cave that's the way it was headed so if they have a base it'll be that direction."

The others trusted my tracking and we headed down the dark tunnel, sure enough the deeper we got the louder and more clearly you could hear movement and talking.

_I'm getting excited…we're in for a fight._

"There's Ruby." I pointed "She'd gonna run into that squad though."

"Step aside girls." The professor stepped in front of us and aimed his strange rod, it popped and shot out a blast that exploded and blew the enemies away.

"RUBY!" Yang hugged her sister.

_She's not in bad shape…good._

"I'm fine, but listen Torchwick has all kinds of weapons and robots." Ruby explained as I gave her back her scythe "Thanks."

_If Torchwick is here…Neo might be too._

"They're all loaded up on train cars." Ruby explained.

"That's preposterous." Oobleck said "These tunnels are sealed all the tracks just lead to a dead end."

"Places people we're leaving now!" Torchwick buzzed over the intercom.

The cavern filled with loud screeching and whirring as the train cars on one track began to pull out, their wheels grinding on the old metal rails.

"They're going somewhere for sure." Yang said.

"I can't get a signal to call for backup." Ruby groaned.

"It would seem we're down to only one option." The Professor said.

"We've gotta stop that train." Ruby glared.

"Alright." I smiled eagerly "Let's go! **Nature's Wrath!"**

I sent some roots out from under the ground to swing us onto the back-car's roof.

"Alright we must get to the engine car to stop the train." Our supervisor said.

"Umm Professor." Weiss cut him off.

"Doctor."

"What's that?" she pointed into the car where there was a bizarre beeping barbell shaped device.

"That…would appear to be a bomb." He pointed.

"They're coming!" Ruby pointed to the front of the train where enemies were pulling themselves onto the roof.

"Okay time to go!" Doctor Oobleck said when the bomb started beeping louder "Blake detach the caboose or it'll kill us all!"

"Wait, it decoupled itself!" Blake yelled over the wind.

"That's not good." Oobleck sighed when the back car exploded.

"He's gonna bring the whole tunnel down on us." I looked back.

"There's another one in this car!" Ruby yelled.

"They all have one!" The Doctor yelled from the third car.

"We have to keep moving then!" I grabbed Ruby and Weiss and jumped to the next car "We need to think of something, we've got bombs behind us and White Fang in front of us."

"Get them!"

"HMPH!" Yang punched a man into a car.

"Get outta my way!" I roared swinging my blade wide to send out a shockwave that left them all open for Weiss and Ruby's dash attacks.

"He plans to lead the Grimm to the city!" Oobleck yelled "The cars detach and explode to create openings! We need to hurry, go into the cars and try and stop those bombs! Ruby you and I will try and stop the train."

"HMPH!" I kicked the hatch open "Let's get in."

"Alright, this is what we trained for." Yang said as we dropped in.

We started to move forward.

"HRA!" I held my blade at a diagonal to block a stab "Neo."

"Hmm." The girl snickered a bit.

"You three can go, I'll handle this car." I cracked my knuckles "I've got a few things to take care of with this one."

"Right." Yang nodded and took the others passed.

"Neopolitan." I looked across at her.

"It's just like…old times." She said in a raspy voice.

"HRA!" I short forward and slammed my sword down, shattering her illusion.

We traded a few strikes, our weapons bouncing off each other.

"Are you here to play around or fight me?" I asked.

"I'm fighting." She wheezed.

"Not with that umbrella." I glared.

"Oh you want me to be serious." She said as I tried to punch her "Fine…"

Neo tossed her jacket off, standing there in just a brown tank top that was tucked into her white pants, I could see the tattoos extending down her arms, the sharp star like patterns a clear symbol of her bloodline of matriarchs.

"I should use this too, my ceremonial weapon?" she smirked pulling out a curved hunting knife out of a strap on her thigh "You remember Veinripper?"

"Of course I do." I smirked back "RAH!"

I slammed my blade down again, Neo spinning around it.

"You're as slow as ever." She shanked my side "They always said that Bloodsplitter's size would be the end of you!"

"GRR!" I slid back and held my side "Start talking…why did you leave the village?"

"This…" she caressed the burn on her neck "This is why?"

"Huh?"

"The Sun Goddess…rejected me." She said in her raspy tone "I was tainted and she took my voice as punishment. With nothing left…my own family wanted to hid the shame so instead of admitting what happened they sent me to man's world to learn about them."

_I'd heard that the Chief can speak to the Sun Goddess…but is she real? And why send Neo ahead…is she the one who told the explorers of our home?_

"Tainted?" I was confused.

"Oh I'm sure you know." She licked her blade clean "Hmm…yes, you taste…delicious."

"You…tasted blood too." I was shocked.

"It was in training…but it was so good, why do they hide it from us, the taste, the sensation…the power." She glared.

"Power?"

"Oh…you don't know." She smirked licking her lips.

The door into our car flew open as Yang punched a grunt in.

"Working here allows me free reign to get what I need…to scratch my itch." She stabbed the guard a few times she got up.

"HMM!" she licked the blade again.

Slowly her tattoos glowed, turning bright red.

"HAA!" she suddenly dashed in and slammed me with a punch to the gut.

"BLEH!" I coughed as she swept my legs and stabbed my in the gut "GAAHH!"

"Until you harness the blood like I do you can't…help me in my quest." She explained softly, whispering in my ear and licking her knife again.

"What quest?" I asked slipping an arrow into my left hand.

"Haven't you seen how disgusting this world is." She stood up twitching "We need to destroy it, they hide in their shelter cities, living selfishly with needless things, they don't know how hard the real world is, the savage Grimm of the jungle would kill them in seconds!"

"HRA!" I stabbed her arm with the arrow.

"TSK!" she slid back.

"Hmph." I licked the arrow clean "Sorry, I just got sick of you talking, maybe that's why the Sun Goddess took your special voice."

"Jokes…" her tattoos glowed even brighter "YOU MAKE JOKES?!"

Neo stabbed at me, I reached out and grabbed her wrist to pull her in and elbow her in the face, busting her lip open.

I felt a rush of energy like never before, I so rarely ever tasted blood while on my fighting high…but this felt amazing.

"I see what you mean." I clenched my fist and picked up a small blade from the grunt Neo bled out "Come on, let's go a few more rounds like when we were kids!"

"GRR!" she gritted her teeth and shook her head "No…"

She suddenly looked up at me with bloodshot eyes "YES!"

The two of us started fighting up close, looking for ways to grip the other and stab. Out knives would occasionally clang together or briefly dig into the skin of the other, blood dripping down out sides.

"HMM!" we both licked our blades clean.

"MORE!" I snarled at her.

"LEONA!"

"NEO!"

Again we dashed in with a flurry of stabs, shakes and slices, each trying to deliver a serious wound that was deeper than an inch or two, fortunately Neo and I were both so high on blood and already familiar with each other's movements that it wasn't making any difference.

***BEEP***

"Crap that bomb!" I yelled.

"No…not now." Neo growled, blood dripping own her side, her mouth practically foaming "Must…kill."

"Neo…"

"RAH!" she stabbed herself in the leg.

"WHAT?!" I yelled.

"Need…it…" she shakily grabbed a bottle on her waist and chugged half of it "Yes…no more…"

"What?"

"Drink the rest." She threw the bottle to me and then walked over and decoupled the car.

"Wait what is this?" I asked.

"That's not important, just trust me." She smiled "Till next time…May Mother Nature…and the Sun Goddess…guide you."

"Neo!" I yelled jumping at her reflection, only to have it shatter and leave me in the next car.

"Trust me…Leona…" I heard her voice whisper on the wind.

"Dammit." I punched the floor and drank Neo's potion, it was pretty sour, before heading towards the front of the car to regroup with the others.

"Oh god what happened to you!" Weiss gasped "You look terrible."

"I'm fine." I shrugged my wounds off "We're gonna hit that wall."

"What should we do?" Yang asked.

"Weiss! Leona!"

"HMPH!" Weiss and I both slammed our weapons down, I encased us in roots while Wiess surrounded that with ice to brace us for the collision.

Sure enough we slammed right into that wall and got sent flying, I was a little out of it, partially from blood loss and partially from the collision.

"Ow…" Ruby groaned.

The ground behind us rumbled and a huge black King Taijitu snake burst free, a horde of Grimm behind it.

"We're not done yet." I hissed picking up my blade and shaking a bit with excitement "We're just getting started!"

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	16. Fight Back

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"HRRRAA!" I slammed my blade down to back the snake off us.

"We're running out of room." Weiss said as we were surrounded.

"Any ideas fearless leader?" I looked at Yang.

"We fight them duh." Ruby slammed her scythe down, spinning around on it to kick the enemy back.

"Yeah I like that!" I laughed shooting an arrow at one before throwing my blade out to slice an Ursa in two "HMPH!"

I waved a nearby tree over and used its branches to throw the blade back, catching it mid run and slammed it down again.

"HRAA!" I roared back at the snake as I held its jaws open wide.

"Leona." Ruby shot it.

"Can we hurry this up!" I growled gritting my teeth "I may be strong but this is a lot even more me!"

"WAHOO!"

Nora suddenly flew in from god knows where to slam her hammer into the snakes head and plat it into the ground.

"You're late." I grumbled a bit picking my cleaver up out of the ground.

"Thanks for coming." Ruby smiled as Team JNPR showed up.

I went back to culling more of the Ursa from the battlefield, making sure that I got all the kills I wanted.

_So good, I love the surge of a fight!_

"DIE! DIE! DIE!" I laughed slamming my sword down a few times "GRR!"

I looked up and saw more backup arriving.

"Finally." Ruby panted a bit.

"Gotta hurry, or my kill count is gonna go down." I smirked "I don't want them stealing my fun."

"Only you would be upset about not having to fight a horde alone." She laughed.

"It's not about getting help." I looked at the mechanical solders that jumped down from the airships "I don't want to lose kills, but I especially don't want to lose them to stupid toys that can't even savor their violence."

Now that we had a proverbial army at our backs eliminating the Grimm wasn't much of a hassle anymore, I still took out a couple dozen alone, but that was enough for me.

* * *

**Later**

"If we don't get some extra credit for that I'm gonna be so disappointed." Weiss said.

"The experience was the extra credit." I joked scratching my side a bit.

"Is that wound okay?" Ruby asked.

"Fine, I heal fast anyway." I shrugged it off with a crack of my neck.

"I wouldn't count on any reward, I mean a snake crushed a bakery." Yang noted.

"And we still don't know the reason or if everyone that got hurt will be okay." Ruby added.

"We still caught a lot of dangerous people, so that's something good." Blake nodded "It's something to be proud of."

"So what now?" Yang looked at the sunset.

"I suggest training for the tournament." Weiss said passively.

"Tournament?" I asked.

"Haven't you been listening in class?" Blake asked me "The Vytal Festival, it's a big thing they do every couple years, all the kingdoms come together for a big festival, there's even a combat tournament between the students of the major schools."

"Oh right." I smirked "A chance to fight other people, real serious combat, I can't wait."

"I think after today we have the training part covered." Blake sighed.

"Then how about bed, I need a nap." Ruby groaned.

"Oh yeah absollutly." Yang nodded.

"I'm gonna be out like a light." Blake added.

"You want to sleep, my blood is still pumping from battle!" I laughed.

"Of course, it is." They all groaned.

The others started to head back, but I was obviously still riled up, there was no way I was going to sleep yet.

"Hmm, this stuff." I shook the bottle that Neo gave me "Just what is it…smells herbal and I recognize some scents in it but what is it and why'd she make such a big deal about drinking it."

I scratched my neck "The itch is coming back…more frequently again, it used to be every couple month, then less…now it's pushing every damn week. I can't…but I can't not…it's bad, but good."

I was panting a bit as I scratched myself "This thirst…this Bloodlust, it's more than just an itch I could feel it in the fight with Neo."

I dug my nails into my arm "I was so strong! But I could feel myself losing control, all I wanted was to fight, to kill, to taste it again."

_So this is why Mother went mad…I can see, this curse of Bloodlust is something that'd break most…_

I stood up and stretched "But it sure as hell won't break me."

I started walking back to the room, it was late now so no one was really out so I was surprised to see someone just standing around in the main square

"Hmm…she's strong." I stopped behind her "You really should be out so late, and wearing a mask no less."

_Hungry…The Itch…_

I pulled the discarded knife I took from the train off my belt and glared at her "Didn't you ever learn that dangerous people lurk about at night."

I dove to try and stab her shoulder only to get block.

"I should have known, I could feel your strength." I growled backing off clutching the arm she just sliced.

She spun her blade and wiped it off before sheathing it away "You savages know nothing of violence, constantly attacking everything even if it's stronger than you. You Amazons should learn your place in the world, we should have wiped your kind out."

"You know of that story." I glared "We teach young girls honor by telling about how we wiped out your kind."

"I am not one of those weak-minded fools who'd be pushed to the brink of death." The woman looked at me from under her mask.

I felt my bloodlust rising.

There's an old story in Amazon culture, many years ago there were multiple tribes still scattered about the wastes of the world, at the time Amazons interreacted with the outside world, trading with these other bandits for supplies and using their men to increase our numbers…but one was foolish enough to try and take our land and enslave our women for themselves, and as a result were wiped to near extinction, thus word spread to other tribes to avoid our jungles, but it also further spurned our fear of the outside, as time passed we ceased interaction and became just a legend of the jungles. Though one thing persists, people we are aware of as notably affiliated with these tribes rise our anger and are to be killed if possible.

"Hehehe." I laughed clutching my larger blade "The tribe will be thrilled when I return and tell them how I took a head from one of those tribes."

The woman grabbed her sword and prepared to draw it "I didn't come here for you savage, but if you push me, it will be your blood spilt here."

"No, the bricks will be dyed with your insides!" I growled loudly.

We were both about to go at it in mortal combat, but footsteps snapped me out of it.

"Dammit." I hissed "As much as it shames me you live another day."

I turned and stormed off in a hurry before I changed my mind, but that didn't stop me from stalking my prey a little longer. The footsteps I heard before approached the woman and spoke to her, asking her to take off her mask and then called her Mom.

"GRR!" I snarled a bit "Yang…"

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Onto Vol 3 next time!**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	17. Round One

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

I grumbled a bit to myself and looked over, Yang gave me a wave as we stood around waiting. A few weeks had passed since the attack by Torchwick and me seeing Yang with that tribal woman, lately I found myself avoiding her more and more, something subconscious was uneasy around her. Nothing about Yang had changed and I knew that, but I still found myself feeling off about her.

The Vytal festival was about to start and we were competing in the first round, since our team had five members someone was going to be sitting out, I'm built to fight so I was out of the question, Yang too, Ruby was leader and Weiss was trying to impress anyone who might be watching so Blake was fine with volunteering.

The arena for the fights was split into various areas based on a random wheel and our area had a few, a hot zone, a cold zone stuff like that, and as soon as the bell rang I was ready to fight. The rules were simple, KO your opponent. First round was teams, second duos and last would be a one on one bracket.

"HRA!" I slammed my sword at the girl I was fighting, kicking up ice "SIT STILL!

The girl had short lime green hair and a ruffian look about her, the whole team we were fighting, Team ABRN, were all a little rough around the edges. My opponent, Reese, had a weapon that allowed her to hover and fly around.

"HYUP!" she jumped up and kicked her board at me.

"RAH!" I punched in back only to have it ollied back once more.

I growled when it bounced off my face "I'm not here to play games!"

I slammed my blade down to send a shockwave of ice out, knocking her up and making her fall on her ass.

"See now I'm having fun." I loaded my crossbow.

"HMPH!" she jumped back up when one of her teammates in the hot zone threw her a heated crystal that she used to free a frozen member.

"Clever." I yanked my sword out of the ice "I don't care how many there are I'll take you all down!"

I put my blade up to block when she jumped at me, an air blast puffed and melted the ice under me, making it even more slippery.

"TSK!" I planted Bloodsplitter to steady myself only to have Reese jump up and slam onto my back, scorching me with heat "I told you…"

She was coming in hot again.

"Stay still!" I roared loudly hefting up my blade and slamming the back into her "RAHH!"

I sent her flying with a powerful swing, scoring a ring out and getting out team an early lead.

Weiss and Yang had most of the fight under control but it didn't help that out fearless leader was on the back burner.

"Leona!" she yelled running towards me "Red Streak!"

"Let's go!" I laughed happily "This'll be fun!"

"Right!" she jumped up.

"HMMM." She landed on the edge of my blade "Here we go!"

I slammed my foot down into the ice and sent my monstrous strength into throwing her forward.

Yang and Ruby both collided with the other team and sent them flying out of the ring **"Double Fastball!"**

"The winner is Team RLWBY!"

"This was the best they had to offer." I growled "The later rounds better improve or this would have been a waste of time, I broke more of a sweat fighting those Grimm from the Train derailment."

"Only you would say a battle isn't enough for you." Weiss sighed.

"That's our Leona." Ruby laughed "But now I'm hungry."

"Let's go get something to eat then." Weiss sighed "I'm sure Blake will have plenty to add."

* * *

**Later**

With our first round in the bag we headed to the fairgrounds surrounding the festivities, we met up with Blake soon after.

"Nice job." She smiled.

"Some of us had it easier than others." I said smugly.

"You looked to be struggling yourself." Yang rolled her eyes.

"I got my job done first." I sneered at her "More than can be said for the rest of the team."

"I was just letting them fight back a bit so they didn't get embarrassed in front of everyone." She countered "Sides I took out three at once."

"Only after Ruby and I helped!" I spat back.

"Girls, girls." Weiss stepped between us "We won, who cares who did it faster or more efficient. Let's just find someplace to eat."

"Leona?" Ruby looked at me "Is everything alright? You and Yang have been acting a little off the last few weeks, arguing and stuff."

"It's fine." I stared down at her "Nothing you need to worry about, let's just go eat."

"You'll have trouble eating without this." Emerald suddenly appeared laughing and holding Ruby's wallet "Good to see ya."

"WAH!" Ruby realized what happened "Thanks Emerald, I must have dropped it."

"Awfully convenient to run into you here." I said.

_At least it's just her and not that annoying boy that always follows her around…both of them annoy me to be honest._

"We just finished watching your match." She smiled "You guys were awesome."

"Oh stop it!" Ruby blushed and laughed.

"I heard your team moved on to the next round as well." Blake asked her.

"I feel like we never see anyone besides you and Mercury." Weiss added.

"How'd they do?" Yang asked.

"Hmm…really well." She smirked "But Mercury and I will be in the duos so you probably won't see them, what about you guys."

"As the leader I thought long and hard about it." Ruby hummed.

"We voted on it." Weiss explained.

"I decided to make it a vote!" Ruby tried to recover.

"We voted for Leona and Weiss." Blake told her.

"Hmph." Yang pouted.

"You lost fair and square." I growled at her "Don't be bitter Blondie. Sides I live for fighting, taking me out would be stupid. I don't care who moves on to fight them I'll beat the crap out of them."

"And I'll be there to keep things from being too…violent." Weiss sighed.

"Alright, well good luck, I'm gonna go catch more fights." Emerald headed out.

We stopped at a stall for lunch, there they served some sort of noodle soup dish, Ruby said it was called Ramen, I kinda wanted more meat with it but before we could eat it Weiss failed to pay because her magic money card got declined, thankfully Pyrrha saved our butts so we didn't starve.

"Too much…If I barf I blame you." Jaune groaned.

"Grow a backbone you weak man" I slapped him on the back.

"OW!" he groaned.

"Oh if your gonna do it aim at the enemy!" Nora yelled.

"That's the spirit, win at all costs!" I cheered with her.

"Nora…" Ren sighed.

"Well we best be off." Pyrrha said.

"Think you're ready?" Ruby asked.

"Well we've got a world renown fighter, a guy that's basically a ninja, I can bench like five Leona's and Jaune…our weapons are good and we've trained all year." Nora nodded "We'll be fine!"

"Are you gonna add anything?" Ren asked Jaune.

"I think my shoulder's dislocated from that pat." He whimpered.

"Weakling." I rolled my eyes.

"We really should be going." Pyrrha smiled "Wish us luck."

"Go!" Ruby cheered.

"Try not to barf." I laughed.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	18. Winter

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

Team JNPR won their first-round fight with little fanfare.

"Umm Ruby." I coughed a bit "Can you…help me out with something?"

"Oh." I gasped a bit realizing what I meant "Umm…crap now's not the great time, Weiss is running off and…"

"No it's fine." I scratched my arm "I just felt it coming on, it'll be a while before I really need it so it can wait till tonight."

"Great." She smiled.

I followed her out of the stadium, if I couldn't get any blood from her right now I might as well take my mind off it by spending some time with her and Weiss. The white-haired girl had ran off to one of the arrival areas on her own.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out to the girl "What's the big deal, who were you talking about?"

"Are you expecting guests?" I asked following behind Ruby.

"It's…Winter." The girl said.

"Actually it's Fall right now." I hummed.

"No Winter, my sister." Weiss smiled.

An airship landed and a woman who resembled Weiss but hair shorter styled hair and a more military look about her stepped off and looked around.

"Winter!" Weiss waved before running over to the woman who was accompanied by two robotic soldiers "I'm so happy to see you! Oh Uhh…your presence honors us."

Ruby and I followed her over, Weiss was surprisingly excited, a rare sight for her.

"Beacon…" the woman walked forward "It's been a long time, the air feels different."

"I mean you said it's been a long time." Ruby and I both said before laughing a bit about speaking like that.

"Great minds think alike." She joked.

"Grr…" Weiss glared at us a bit "So what are you doing here?"

"Classified." Winter looked off.

"Oh right…how long are you staying?" Weiss asked another question.

"Classified."

"Of course." Weiss smiled.

"Well…" Ruby hummed "This is nice."

"Very informative." I sighed.

"You'll love it here!" Weiss smiled acting unusually cheery "So much here is different, the government and school are totally separate can you believe that?!"

"I'm familiar to how this kingdom handles this bureaucracy That's not why I came here." She looked at me "They certainly welcome all kinds."

"What's that supposed to me." I growled under my breath.

"I also didn't come to watch my own blood fail so miserably in battle." Winter noted.

"But we won." Weiss pointed out.

"Only a novice would refer to that as a win." Winter said "At least your savage partner there made a point to throttle her opponent. You missed at least three strikes…Leave us."

She waved off her robot platoon.

_I can't tell if I like this woman…or I wanna cold clock her._

"So…how have you been?" Winter asked.

"Splendid thank you for asking!" Weiss smiled.

_She's like a different person in front of her sister_

"I'm in the top ranking of my sparring class and the rest of my classes are going wonderfully-OW!" Weiss yelped when winter suddenly slapped her.

"Silence! I didn't ask about your ranking I asked how you've been." Winter groaned "Are you eating properly, have you taken up any hobbies, are you making new friends?"

"Well there's…these two." She pointed out me and Ruby.

"Heh she called us her friends." Ruby giggled.

"How nice of her." I smirked.

"I…see." Winter sighed "How appropriately…underwhelming."

"Thank you?" Ruby said confused.

"What's underwhelming about me?" I sneered "I'm bigger, stronger and way cooler than you or Weiss."

"Greetings Ruby Rose, Leona Lionheart, thank you for taking an interest in my sister." Winter told us.

"Oh of course the Uhh honor is in my court." Ruby bowed.

"Just…stop." I luahged a bit.

"I have business with the General and your Headmaster but since I'm early why don't you take me to your quarters." Winter half smiled.

"Really!" Weiss perked up "Of course!"

"Yes I wish to inspect them."

"Inspect?" I rolled my eyes.

"We'll catch up!" Ruby told them as the sisters left "Alright we've got a few minutes you want to do this or what?"

"Yeah but we'll have to be quick about it." I pulled her into a dark corner and lowered her coat to cut her shoulder.

"HMM!" Ruby whimpered a bit "This…is getting to be too much Leona, it's almost every other day, maybe we should talk to someone about it, if you keep cutting into my like this I'm gonna scar."

"Don't tell anyone." I glared up at her licking her the blood off her shoulder.

"But-."

"Please Ruby, they'll just think I'm even more of a freak." I sighed putting a bandage on her shoulder "You saw how Winter looked at me, to so many people I'm just some uncivilized beast, imagine what else they'd say if they learned I was addicted to the taste of blood."

"I know it's just, huh?" she paused looking over and seeing a crowd run by "What's that?"

"I don't know." I said following her "Take it easy your shoulder's still bleeding a bit."

"It's fine." She smiled running off.

"Ruby wait!" I ran after her.

I pushed through the crowd and found Ruby and Weiss that, some guy with red eyes and short grey black hair was fighting with winter. He used a weapon that reminded me a bit of Ruby's.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked.

"Some crazy guy attacked my sister." Weiss explained.

"Cool." I laughed watching the two fight it out.

"Oh no who would do such a thing!" Ruby gasped looking on "THAT IS MY UNCLE!"

"What?" Weiss and I both gave her a look.

"Kick her butt Uncle Qrow!" Ruby yelled.

"Teach him some respect!" Weiss snapped.

"Let me join in." I smiled.

"NO!" Ruby and Weiss both held my arms.

"Like you two could hold me back." I smirked.

"Schnee!"

General Ironwood, a representative from one of the other lands that Ruby told me about showed up and stopped the fight.

"BOO!" I grumbled.

"Stop pouting like a child." Weiss told me.

"Now there's no reason to get upset." Ozpin showed up "But there is a sanctioned fight going on with better seats…and popcorn!"

"Break it up everyone." Miss Goodwitch was with him.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby ran up to the man "Did you miss me?!"

"No." he patted her head and dropped her.

"A word please." Ozpin waved him over.

"I think I'm in trouble." The man sighed.

"You did kinda tear up the courtyard." Ruby shrugged as he walked off.

"Suddenly your recklessness makes sense." Weiss sighed.

"You're just made cause he whopped butt." Ruby laughed.

"You guys have such cool relatives." I frowned a bit "I wish I knew what it was like."

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	19. Vs FNKI

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"Hmm." I hummed to myself as I dragged a stone along my long blade, I needed to sharpen it before my next fight.

Ruby and Yang were hanging out with their Uncle Qrow, Weiss was with her sister and I hadn't seen Blake in a while. I didn't care, I was fine alone.

"Tsk." I coughed a bit "The next round…let's go already."

"Oh hello!" Penny smiled walking passed me.

"It's you." I hummed putting down the whetstone "Did you win?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"Well then maybe we'll get to fight in the next round." I wrapped my cleaver up "If you're looking for Ruby she's up in the stands. I don't have time to talk, I'm up next."

"Okay, I will talk to you again soon." She said.

I headed out to the field and found Weiss waiting.

"Let's go already." I tapped my foot.

"Just remember to keep proper form." Weiss sighed.

"Proper form is smashing your opponent into the dirt." I snarled "This team's from Atlas right, what should I be expecting."

"The kingdom, academy and armed forces are all one so expect them to be strict militant fighters with advanced technology-." She started.

"Are they gonna be strong or not." I cut her off.

"Most likely."

"Good." I smirked "But since when is tie dyed hair strict military?"

I looked over at our two opponents, the one was some sort of Faunus with bright neon hair and outfit while her partner was a man who looked to be fighting with a trumpet.

"You're Weiss Schnee, the heiress." The man said.

"That's me." She nodded happy to be recognized.

"I take it you know your way around dust then."

"I do." She smiled more.

"So did my dad, owned a little shop of his own and everything…till your dad ran him outta business." The boy glared.

"I'm…sorry to hear that." Weiss frowned.

"Grr." I pulled out my cleaver and slammed it down "Quit trying to make her feel bad for something she didn't do, stay focused Weiss."

"Quit trying to make her feel bad." The cat like girl mocked me "That's what you sound like."

"What?" I growled.

"Where'd you get that outfit, it's like so…grody." She skated in place.

"I'm gonna rip her in half!" I roared as the field randomized itself to a wild set up of busted cities, caves and lava fields.

"3…2…1…BEGIN!"

"BRAAA!"

Flynt, the guy with the trumpet, blasted us both right out the gate with a sonic wave.

"HMPH!" The catgirl skated in and kicked me back into the cityscape.

I slammed my blade into the ground to slow my slide and then shot an arrow at her.

"PFFT!" she stuck her tongue at me.

"We just started but you're already pissing me off!" I roared loudly "You're a pain in the ass you stupid monkey! HRAA!"

I slammed my blade down and cut the railing she was on in half.

"I'm a cat stupid!" she smacked my face with her glow sticks.

"Huh?" I hissed seeing my arm freeze.

_Dust…_

"HRAA!" I smashed my arm down to break the ice "get back here!"

I slammed Bloodsplitter into the ground and pulled up a bunch of rubble that I shot at her.

"HMM!" she hummed to herself and jumped off the rocks to get in closer "Chill out!"

"HMPH!" I tossed my sword up and grabbed her by the neck "I will after you shut up, I came to fight not play dance party with some stupid monkey!"

"I told you I'm a cat!" she kicked my face and knocked me back.

" **Nature's Wrath!"** I tightened my hands and pulled up, summoning roots from under the stadium to block her back and throw Bloodsplitter back to me "End of the line!"

"I can't…HMM." She started looking for an out to skate.

"GRR!" I got ready to charge in when I heard the buzzer to show that Weiss just got knocked out "Great…two on one."

"Oh no you're ad a disadvantage." Neon skated around me "Too bad."

"Too bad?" I smirked I took my three point stance and leaned my blade on my shoulder "These odds are much more fun, now I don't have to worry about leaving any for Weiss! You wanted to play around kitty! Then let's play!"

I darted in and slammed my blade down, separating her from her partner.

"HAHA!" I licked my lips.

I let the blade jam into the ground and spun in place, firing off an arrow before I pulled my blade up for the next strike.

"BRAAA!"

Flynt tried to blast me with another shockwave but this time I used my roots to bind my feet to the floor.

" **Bark Armor!"** I laughed a bit as my skin was covered in roots and back "HAHAHA! This is great!"

With my body weighed down by bark I bolted in and slammed the musician down and knocked him out.

"Too bad for you." I looked back "Come on, let's dance kitty!"

I seethed a bit more as I turned around and slammed right into her with the back of my blade.

"Go fetch!" I sent her flying.

"That's dogs!" she yelled as she hit the wall and got knocked out.

"Hahaha!" I laughed "Boy that was exciting."

I grabbed my heart.

_Gimme more…when's the next round?!_

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

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	20. Leona Vs Mercury

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

 

**Leona's POV**

"Grr…let's go already." I angrily tapped my foot.

It was time to start the final portion of the festival, a one on one tournament. Obviously, I was representing our team and I wanted to fight now. I didn't know who I would get to fight but I didn't care, I was gonna win no matter what, Pyrrha and Penny were the only other girls competing and none of these weak men would be able to stand against us, I was going to meet one of them in the finals, ideally Pyrrha, and prove I was the strongest.

"Now let's see who the first match will be." The randomizer started.

_Come on…come on…_

The screen stopped rotating.

"Leona Lionheart and Mercury Black!"

"First up, lucky me." I licked my lips "I've been waiting a long time to shut him up."

There were no special floors this time, just a plain stone and metal battle ring.

"RAAH!" I slammed my huge blade down and loaded my hand crossbow "Let's go!"

"3…2…1…Fight!"

"RAAH!" I pulled back and slammed my blade down right away, leaving a massive cut in the center of the ring.

"HMPH!" I pulled it out of the ground and turned it sideways to block some concussive kicks.

_It's like fighting Yang…but with his feet._

"Take this!" I shot an arrow at his feet and made him jump "HRAAA!"

I followed him up and swung sideways to knock him down and started chasing after him, slamming my sword down at each point.

"Slippery little thing aren't you." I felt my adrenaline rushing "Don't make it easy, that wouldn't be any fun!"

I swayed to the side when he tried to axe kick me, I took his recovery time to grab him by the calf and slam him down.

"Get lost weakling!" I used a giant's throw to hurl him out of the ring only for him to kick the air and fly back "You're just full of fun!"

I rapidly moved my large blade and let him kick it, Mercury jumped back and let out another barrage of air blasts that pelted my blade and my skin.

"Was that…supposed to hurt or something?" I stood up and cracked my neck "I barely felt a thing, I'm getting bored now! Just die already!"

I started to charge in, dragging my blade behind me to make a large cut and kick up rubble before slamming into him roughly and kicking him into the dirt.

"RAAAH!" I roared in victory "HMMRRAA!"

I turned around and slammed him with my sword again "Just accept defeat you weakling!"

"I wanna keep going?!" I howled "I was trying to be nice and not kill you, just accept defeat and don't attack afterword, coward…just like all men."

"BOO!"

"You boo me?!" I roared "I defend myself."

"RAAH!" I snarled again when those mechanical soldiers surrounded my "You wanna go too, I'll break your toys!"

"Restrain her!"

"RAAAH!" I hissed when I felt a shock in my back "GRA!"

I ripped the first taser wire out only to get zapped another dozen times and tied down with iron ropes.

"LET ME GO!" I roared "I'll RIP YOU ALL APART!"

I howled loudly as they insisted I attacked him first.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I screamed getting zapped again and passing out.

* * *

 

**AN**

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	21. Blood Beast

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**NO POV**

"This is bullshit!" Leona growled.

She was inside a cell, tied to the bed for her own good. She was snarling, seething and her eyes were bloodshot, she was still high on adrenaline and bloodlust from her fight.

"I didn't do anything!" She roared.

"You left us no choice." Ironwood said.

"Left you no choice!" she thrashed around "That man attacked me! You believe me right."

"…yes." Weiss hummed "You might be violent but you always make sure to hold back against other people. What happened is…unlike you."

"The video says otherwise."

"Then your technology lies!" she started to pulled the belts, the leather stretching and looking ready to snap.

"Sedate her again!"

"RAAHHH!"

"Leona!" Ruby shivered.

"HRAAA…Hmmm…" the tribal slowly passed out.

"She's…not lying right." Ruby asked.

"Of course not." Weiss defended her "Right."

"Of course!" Yang and Ruby nodded.

"Blake…?" Yang asked.

"I…don't know." The Faunus sighed.

"This isn't like Leona, not at all." Ruby frowned.

"People change sometimes." Blake turned away "Maybe she did too."

"This…is a mess." Weiss sighed as they left.

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"I know what I saw." I grumbled to myself.

I had finally been allowed out of the restraint straps on the bed, so long as I stayed calm. I was still in a cell, surrounded by guards both real and fake.

"Those two…" I coughed "Tricked me, I'm going to kill them both for this."

I felt my foot tapping more and more.

"Not now." I grumbled chewing my thumbnail.

I ran over to the door "I need to talk to Ruby."

"Visiting hours are over for the day." The guard said "Just stay quiet so I can watch the tournament."

"Tsk." I sat on the bed and saw my hands were twitching.

_Something is coming…I need Ruby…I need blood…_

"I need to get out." I grabbed my head.

Everything felt itchy and blurry, I was gonna lose it.

"I SAID LET ME OUT!" I growled.

"Alright if you won't shut up I'll make you." The guard started to open the door.

"RAH!" I grabbed him through the bars and started to choke him and slam his head into the bars.

_If I can't have Ruby I'll have these guys instead!_

I forced the door to the cell open and licked all the blood off my hands "HMM! More…GIMME MORE!"

* * *

**NO POV**

Leona burst out of her cell and ripped an arm off one of the robot guard, using its rifle to blast a hole in the other robots and a few human guards, she wasted no time breaking into the secure room and recovering her weapons, Bloodsplitter, her White Fang short sword, and her wrist crossbow.

By the time Leona forced her why out of the jail behind her it looked like something out of a horror scene, blood splattering the walls, coating her blades and lips.

"GRAAAA!" she kicked the door open and roared.

Her tattoos started to glow the familiar burnt orange red that she once saw on Neo's body when they fought on the train.

"MORE!" she howled foaming at the mouth "RAAH!"

A Grimm charged her and Leona just slashed through it with a clean cut.

"No blood…stay outta my way!" she roared jumping off "REE!"

She got shot in the back by a mech soldier.

"If you can't feed my hunger!" she shot it in the head with her crossbow and then stomped on it "Then stay outta the way! GRAAAHHHAA!"

* * *

**Elsewhere**

"They just…keep coming." Wiess panted a bit as more Grimm and various Mechs marched in on them.

"HRAAA!"

A shockwave of cascading rubble crashed down in front of her and wiped away the beasts attacking her.

"Wha-Leona."

"Ha…ha…RAAAAHHHH!" The girl roared lifting up her blade and bringing it down just inches from Weiss face.

"What is wrong with you?!" the girl flicked her wrist to knock her back.

"HRAAAA!" Leona slammed her arms down and roared loudly at the others.

"What's with her?" Neptune asked.

"This isn't the time for games!" Weiss yelled.

"RAAAAA!" Leona started to charge at her again "DIE!"

It didn't seem to matter what anyone shot at her she didn't stop her charge.

"HMMRAA!"

"GRA!" Leona pulled up to block Yatsuhashi's sword "Stay outta my way!"

She flexed roughly and sent the large man gliding back.

"HRA!" she immediately reoriented and started blocking a chain burst from Coco.

"It's just Leona!" Weiss yelled.

"Yeah and she's trying to kill all of us!" Coco said as the girl smacked her bullets back and charged at the downed Nora "If you don't do something I'm putting her down!"

"RAAAAH!" Leona roared out loud and shot at Velvet before getting ready to cut up Nora.

"HMPH!" Leona was suddenly kicked square in the face and stumbled back.

"You need…to calm down." Neo snapped her umbrella closed.

"Its you."

"RAAAH!" Leona screeched and got ready to strike.

"HMM!" Neo snapped her elbow into Leona's face before shoving something into her mouth "Learn to control yourself!"

"GAHH!" Leona grabbed her throat, her tattoos returned to their normal black color and she fell over into a solid sleep.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	22. Locked Away

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

The next time I came to I was in a different place, it was like a hospital…but not, the wall were blank, there were no cell bars only a door with about three mechanical locks and another electrical one. My weapons were gone, as were my clothes, instead I was in terrible white pants…and a straightjacket. Every time I woke up it would only be fore a few minutes then someone would rush in and jam some needle into me to knock me out again. The few times I was awake they tried to explain things to me, I was here because I was mad. In the attack I had attacked my friends, attacked everything while blinded by bloodlust. I started to wonder what I had really done or not done the memories were so blurry, had I really attacked Mercury like they said?

Eventually when I was allowed to stay awake for more then an hour a day they explained to me what had happened, The School had been attacked by Grimm, the White Fang and a group of other extremists, all in a plan to get something. Pyrrha was dead…Penny was dead…Yang was wounded and I was…locked away "For the safety of others.". I had gone on some sort of rampage when I broke out and only calmed down when a stranger forced some sort of medicine into my mouth.

That was a while ago, now I spend my days sitting, bound and tied in this safe box, my body on fire and craving blood, apparently nothing is keeping me here and I can go if I wanted but…maybe everyone is safe here after all not a single member of the team has come to see me.

"Miss Lionheart." A nurse with long black hair unlocked the cell "It lunch."

I just stared at the corner "I'll get to it later."

I looked back "You're new."

I noticed her voice had a strange timbre to it, like she was faking an accent.

"I just started today." She smiled "But…I don't know if I'll be staying this job is a lot of work."

"If your weak than quit now, dealing with the people in this place will drive you mad." I said.

"Oh don't worry." She walked over and whispered "I'm already a little mad, aren't all of us."

"You." I jumped back.

"I knew you'd figure it out." Her voice got raspy as parts of her hair turned pink.

"Neo!" I gasped.

"My you're looking rather dreary." She snickered "So you remember what happened?"

"Yeah…" I looked down "This power, everyone was right I'm just a bloodthirsty maniac."

"It not you, I experienced the same thing once." She clenched her fist "It's the drawback, we get stronger from ingesting others blood, but we also lose more of ourselves to the power."

"How have you stayed in control?" I asked.

"You remember that stuff I gave you on the train, that's how." She explained "It's a calming agent that will help to relax you."

She tucked a card into my straightjacket "That's the recepie to make it, I stashed a bottle of it with your stuff in the storage room, if you ever decide to get outta here, just take a drink if you feel like you're going to slip away, it'll reset your power boost but you won't have to worry about going on a rampage."

"Thanks Neo…where are you going now."

"I've still got work to do." She reassumed her nurse form "I'm sure we'll meet up again soon…May Mother Nature and the Sun Goddess guide you."

"Mother Nature Guide you." I lowered my head.

Even with Neo's medicine I couldn't bring myself to leave, I can't trust myself to not be too dangerous, not to mention I don't know what to say to Weiss, I remember that in my last rampage I nearly…

* * *

**A While Later**

"You have some visitors Miss Lionheart." A nurse unlocked my cell "You've got fifteen minutes."

"Hmm?" I looked back and wondered who would be coming to visit someone like me in an out of the way place like this.

The door opened and Ruby and Nora walked in, they had changed their outfits, Nora was in more of a puffy skirt with a jacket while Ruby had a corset like top on.

"Ruby!" I gasped.

"Leona!" she practically jumped me in a huge "I missed you."

"Yeah, me too." I said "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going on a journey with Nora, Ren and Jaune." She said "We're going to Haven and this place was on the way so I figured I'd stop and see…if you wanted to come with us."

"We could totally use your super strength." Nora smiled.

"Why, they have you." I said "You don't want a monster like me with you, I'd just be in the way."

"Leona…what's wrong?" Ruby asked "This isn't like you, normally you'd be jumping at the chance to get out there and stomp Grimm."

"Yeah well…I guess I just changed after what happened, we all did." I frowned "You should go Ruby, I'll stay here where I won't have to worry about losing control and nearly killing someone I care about."

"But-."

"I'm sorry Ruby but this is for the best." I said "But be careful, I sense a great darkness following you, there's a murderous aura after you."

Ruby closed her eyes and took a deep breath "It's probably these."

"You're eyes?" I asked.

"Uncle Qrow said they were special."

"Silver eyes." I hummed "I recall a saying among my people, red is the color of our people's willpower…but Silver is the color of our hope."

"Okay." Ruby smiled "I guess I'll go then."

"Nora." I sighed "Take care of her."

"Of course." She smiled "See ya!"

The two left and I wondered for a while if I had made the right choice, but then a day or so later I was looking out the window on my cell door and I heard it.

"Did a girl with short black hair and silver eyes pass through here a few days ago?" a man asked the front desk.

"Umm…yes I believe she stopped to see a patient before headed towards the outskirts of the ruined villages." She explained.

"I see…thank you." The man sulked out.

_This…what is this bloodlust?_

"RAAAH!" I pulled my arms and broke the locks and a few latches on my straight jacket "Let me out!"

_Ruby's in serious danger! There's no way she can take a guy with that kind of murder aura…even with their help. The only person who can go toe to toe with a fighter like that…is me!_

Of course, the nurses all thought I was having another episode and sedated me, but once night came I broke apart my bed and used the pieces to bust open the locks and sneak out the door. I quickly clambered into the storage room and found my weapons, Bloodsplitter, my White Fang short sword, my wrist mount crossbow and quiver and Neo's elixir.

"Alright." I strapped the swords to my back, the bow to my wrist and the bottle and quiver to my waist, there was no time to dig out my old fur clothes, I'd make due with a tattered straightjacket for a top and a pair of black medical pants and no shoes for now.

"Whoever you are." I jumped out the window, glass raining down "I won't let you touch Ruby!"

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	23. Vs Tyrian

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

My newly started trek to catch up to Ruby was already off to a pretty poor start, in terms of tracking her down I just followed the bloodlust of the person hunting her, and the asylum wasn't chasing me down which I guess makes sense since they said I could leave whenever I wanted no the problem came from the morale crossroad I was currently at.

I had come across a bandit camp in the woods, they had a few prisoner's and I wasn't sure what to do, I could help them out but I might risk losing my tail on the guy after Ruby but when I thought about it the choice was obvious, Ruby would flip if I didn't stop to help these people first.

"Still A whole camp of bandits." I grabbed Bloodsplitter "I hope I haven't lost my touch!"

I jumped out of a tree and landed square in the center of the camp "RAAAH!"

"What the hell?"

"Who's this bitch?!"

"Get her!"

I quickly palmed the ground and rose up a barrier of roots to block their bullets and then did a cross swipe to blow a handful of them away. I was next assaulted by a duo each wielding a spear that jumped back from.

"HRA!" I fired off a crossbow bolt and pinned the foot of one down before tackling him and punching him in the face.

"HMM!" I licked my fingers clean after I bloodied his lip and then caught his partner's spear "not gonna happen!"

I snapped the spear and punched him out too.

"OH YEAH!" I roared "I'm back baby!"

I heard a loud whirring and bandit wearing a thick helmet that hid his face stomp out. He was tall, burly, covered in scars and cuts and his blade was a sword that had spinning teeth on it.

"You're the boss?" I asked.

"RAH!" he wasted no time sawing at me.

I wasn't able to block him since the spinning teeth on the blade knocked my sword back. I had to go defensive, as much as my blood was boiling for me to just rush him down I had to be careful or I was gonna lose a hand.

"Tsk." I hissed trying to find an opening "THERE!"

I pulled back and delivered the signature Amazon Super Punch to his gut.

"DIE!" he shook off the blow and went to saw me in half.

"Seriously?!"

"GAH!" he suddenly yelled as his wrist gushed blood and he dropped his sword, his hand falling off the trigger.

"You've lost your touch." A raspy voice giggled.

"HRAA!" I took the opening to slam my blade into the guy and send him flying "I would have managed, coming to see me again already Neo?"

I turned around and saw the half pink tribal princess giggling.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I finished some house keeping and thought I'd come and say hello, all my loose ends are tied up." She smiled "That and I figured you'd need help, I heard Tyrian got sent after your little blood bank."

"Ruby." I took a drink from the potion bottle "So you knew about that."

"With Beacon falling Salem want's them to get more aggressive, it's not safe for me there anymore." Neo said.

"So now you're tagging along with me." I raised an eyebrow.

"Problem?" she asked "I thought we'd get the band back together."

I laughed as I let the captives out of their cages "That was a long time ago. What about all that stuff about wanting to destroy tihs world since everyone in it is weak?"

"That was the blood talking." she said.

Before I could say much more I looked at the top of a cage and saw a bright red and yellow parrot land on it.

"This is…Garuda." I unwrapped a paper from it's foot "A Carrier Parrot, I'm shocked you could find me way out here."

Back in the jungle we use Parrots for long distance communication with hunting parties, I hadn't realized they could find their masters this far out though.

"So you got one too." Neo noted "Read it."

I unraveled the paper and skimmed it.

"After hearing your previous reports and news from the outside we've found it prudent to dispatch a third scout." I mumbled reading ahead "No not her…"

"That's quite the face you're making." Neo laughed.

"You knew about this?" I hissed.

"Of course, I got one two." She wheezed "But if their sending her then they must be getting serious about letting more people in and out of the jungle."

"You were sent out because you had the Bloodlust." I said "I'm pretty sure they knew I had it too, do you think she will."

"It's be quite something if the three of us were all linked like that again." Neo hummed.

"This is what you meant by getting the band back together." I sighed "The three of us haven't teamed up in some time."

"Takes me back that's for sure." Neo laughed.

"She was probably following Garuda." I hummed as the bird flew off "I'd wager she's not more than a half day's journey behind us and gaining. We can't wait for her we need to stop that maniac after Ruby."

"Then let's not waste any time." Neo hummed before coughing.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Talking so much." She rubbed her burned throat "Hurts."

I just looked at her "Sorry."

"It's not…you're fault." She said "Come on."

The two of quickly hit the road, seeking to make the best time possible and save the others.

* * *

**Later**

**NO POV**

"HMPH!" Ruby spun her Crescent Rose around to try and block Tyrian's strikes.

Even with her allies help they were losing a four on one fight.

"Got ya!" he went to strike with his tail.

"HRRRA!" a massive blade landed between him and Ruby, stopping the attack.

"This is-." Ruby gasped.

"You fight me now!" Leona roared.

"LEONA!" the others gasped.

"Sorry I'm a little late, got sidetracked." She laughed.

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"Do you seriously think you can stop me alone?" Tyrian laughed.

"Who said I was alone?" I asked.

He suddenly turned and used his tail to block as Neo tried to stab him from behind with her knife.

"Dammit." She hissed.

"Wait I remember you." He recognized Neo "one on Cinder's little friends."

"Hmm." Neo jumped back next to me and threw her jacket off.

"You all stay back." I lowered into my stance "Neo and I will handle this. LET'S GO!"

I fired off a bolt and charged in after it. I took a big swing but was blocked by his wrist blades.

"Crazy fighting crazy!" I laughed pushing him back "You should have stayed at the asylum when you passed through! Leave and I won't chop you in half!"

"Why would Salem send you after Ruby." Neo pointed her knife "Answer me."

"I think we've talked enough already." Tyrian smiled "Don't you agree."

"Fine." I hefted up my blade "We'll talk with our fists!"

I quickly blocked as dashed in, pushing him back, he jumped up and landed on the tip of my blade and shanked my side with his tail.

"Oh, dear you lost already." He laughed.

"Poison." I smirked "HRA!"

I punched him.

"That won't work on me!" I slammed him with my sword and sent him crashing into a building.

"Which vein to cut." Neo darted after him spinning her knife in her hand.

Before she could get close Tyrian jumped up and started unloading bullets.

" **Root Wall!"** I pulled up a barrier for Neo.

"HAHAHA!" Tyrian ran around me and was going at Ruby.

"Get back her." I dragged my blade along the ground.

"HMPH!" he jumped up, kicking Ren and Nora in the face before I blocked him.

"I told you stay back!" I snapped.

"Leona!" Neo coughed pulling the blade off her Veinripper.

I made Roots bind Tyrian in place as she blew a dart through the handle of her tiny knife and knocked him out with a dart in the neck.

"We got him for now." I caught my breath.

"Leona!" Ruby hugged me "You came!"

"I had a bad feeling." I smiled "I was…worried about you."

"Thanks." She blushed a bit.

"Umm so like what's with her." Nora asked as Neo walked over to us.

"Oh this is my old friend Neo, she's an amazon too." I said.

"Yeah we saw the tattoos." Jaune said.

"Salem has gotten more aggressive." Neo said "You…need my help."

"Don't worry she's good." I told them.

"I was only supposed to get the Silver Eyed girl, but I think her Grace will be pleased if I bring this defector back as well." Tyrian suddenly broke free.

"What?" Neo gasped.

"He's part Scorpion the darts mustn't be as effective." Jaune warned.

_He's fast._

Before we could even react Tyrian was kicked away as Qrow suddenly appeared.

"Whoa!" we all gasped.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby gasped.

Qrow quickly engaged Tyrian in combat, it was still too dangerous for us to jump in and find and opening, especially for the others.

"Leona." Neo spun her blade "Let's do it."

"Hmm…alright." I nodded unhooking the bottle off my waist "Nora catch!"

"Wah!" she grabbed it frantically, nearly dropping the bottle.

"No matter what." I looked back "When this fights over make us drink that."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just do it." I hissed as Neo slit both our wrists and we licked off each other.

My tattoos burned and glowed as I lifted up my Bloodsplitter.

"Oh that's the stuff!" I moaned.

"Let's get him!" Neo dashed in with her dark smile on her face.

"Right behind ya!" I charged in after her.

Tyrian was rapidly losing ground as Neo and I quickly turned the tide, slashing at him and kicking up dust, still he was slippery and landing a serious cut was hard, somehow this guy was dodging a master class huntsman, two bloodlust fueled Amazons and Ruby's covering fire.

"Why won't you just die!" I slammed my sword deep into the ground and then pulled it out, kicking up rubble and knocking him skyward.

"Dodge this!" Neo darted around the rocks and got a stab in on his gut.

"Here we go." Qrow knocked Tyrian into a building "Now we're getting somewhere."

He jumped after Tyrian, fighting him on the roof while Neo and I kept positions on the ground.

"GOT HIM!" Tyrian got launched out of the building, I grabbed his tail and slammed him down "Do it now!"

"HRA!" Tyrian jumped up and went to strike me only to get blocked by Ruby.

"Do you wish to die?" he laughed at her.

"No…but I'm not gonna stand by and let everyone else get hurt trying to protect me." She glared.

"Get Ruby out of here!" Qrow yelled blocking Tyrian again.

"No way." Neo laughed.

"We're fighting." I smiled.

"RAH!" Tyrian laughed stinging Qrow's side.

"Shit." I hissed.

"There!" Neo pinned the venom bulb down "Now!"

"HYA!" Ruby let off a shot and blew Tyrian's tail off.

"AAAAH!" he screamed "YOU BITCH!"

_For a Faunus like him that's like losing a leg._

"GRAAH!" he stumbled around in a daze "Fine…she'll forgive you. GRR!"

He scampered off, leaving us as the victors for now.

"UGH!" Qrow grabbed his side.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked.

"I'll be fine." He told her "It just grazed me."

"Are you seriously okay?" Nora asked handing Neo and I the bottle "You got hit kinda deep."

"Thanks to our Venom Tattoos we're immune to poison." I told her taking a drink "This is gonna leave a nasty scar though."

"I'll see what I can to about it." Neo hummed picking up Tyrian's tail "best to hang on to this."

"Still who was that guy?" Nora asked.

"And why are people after Ruby?" Jaune followed up.

"How did he even get here." Ren added.

"Uncle Qrow what's going on?" Ruby asked.

"Neo?" I looked at her.

"I…don't know much." She shrugged "After Beacon I've mostly been on my own."

"So than it seems there are a lot of questions to answer." I hummed "Let's make camp."

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	24. Answers and Questions

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

With Tyrian taken care of we all made a campfire to rest at for the night.

"Another Amazon is coming." I told Ruby "I'm sure she's close by."

"Really?" she smiled "Who is she, what is she like."

"Tarzana." I hummed "She's not like me if that's what you want to know."

"Back when we were young the three of us hunted together." Neo explained "She was the leader of our little troop."

"People used to say if Neo ever became Chieftain that me and Tarzana were going to be her bodyguards." I explained.

"But things change." Neo rubbed her throat "And we were separated."

"Just don't make her mad." I said "And you'll be fine."

"She sounds…interesting." Ruby laughed.

"Not making her mad will be hard though." Neo sighed.

"Who in the Sun Goddess name do you two think you're talking about?" some leaves rustled as a woman walked out.

"Tarzana!" Neo and I gasped.

Tarzana was tall, about Yang's height, skinny with little visible muscle under her slightly tanned skin which had tribal tattoos that ended in lightning bolt like zigzag marks, a mostly flat chest and long slender legs. She had long black hair that was tied into a braided ponytail and she was wearing a fur vest for a top, brown tanned leather pants and boots, strapped to her pants around the calves were two harnesses for her weapon, Heartstopper.

"You two morons were talking about me weren't you!" she yelled "We're on the cusp of reuniting and you go and badmouth me?!"

"We're sorry!" we shivered.

"You two have gotten lax since leaving home." She put her hands on her wide hips "This world of men has made you feeble. I watched you fight that man, in the past you could have handled him as children yet now you struggle and depend on a man for help!"

"It's not that bad." Ruby tried to get her to back "Hi nice to meet you I'm Ruby Leona's-EEP!"

Tarzana gave her a glare "You were jsut as foolish, running directly into battle while others were seeking to protect you."

"And don't think I didn't see you break the taboo, even more pathetic!" she snapped continuing her triad "You see Neopolitan, this is why the Sun Goddess punished you!"

"Wait if you're out here like us..." I hummed.

"You totally have the Bloodlust too don't you." Neo said.

"S-Shut up!" she pouted "Don't talk back like that!"

"Well it's nice to see you I guess." I shrugged.

"Yeah, we're back together again, the three of us." Neo smiled "TLN is back in action!"

"Umm ladies." Ren walked over "We were about to start."

"I don't take command from a man-oh wow." She coughed when she turned to look at him "I mean very well."

"Wow that wasn't subtle at all." I scoffed.

"What was that?" Tarzana growled "You certainly weren't insinuating I might have interests in a male outside of breeding purposes."

"Right got ya Captain." I said walking over to the campfire.

We sat around the fire with the others as Qrow took his seat and got ready to answer questions.

_He's got a slight sweat, and his breathing looks labored…that poison is pumping._

Tarzana had already inserted herself into the group so of course she joined us. The talk was short, no one really chimed in when Qrow rambled on about Maidens and Magic, Neo didn't seem all that surprised so I took it to be the truth.

"So these Maidens, their powerful fighters who don't need dust to use magic?" Ruby asked.

"And there are four of them?" Nora clarified "Always?"

"If one dies someone else will get her power." I said.

"Always the last female they were thinking of." Tarzana laughed "As it should be."

I gave her a look.

"So that's what you were trying to do to Pyrrha." Jaune said "When the Tower fell, you were trying to turn her into one of them."

"Amber, the previous Fall Maiden, was attacked by Cinder and somehow managed to have some of her power stolen by that woman." Qrow said.

"Neopolitan?" Tarzana looked "Could you enlighten us more perhaps?"

"Hmm." Neo shrugged "That was…before I was close to her. You'd need to…ask Emerald or Mercury."

"We had to do something or the rest might have gone to her as well." Qrow said.

"So instead you messed with forces you barely understood and nearly broke reality." I noted.

"Typical." Tarzana hummed.

"We didn't force anything, everyone involved had a choice." He said.

"I'm…going for a walk." Jaune got up.

"Jaune-." Ruby started to stand up.

"Best to let him be." I told her before looking at Neo "Tyrian, what did he want with Ruby."

Neo cleared her scarred throat "Her…eyes, Salem want's the Silver Eyes. Cinder barely escaped now they want who wounded her."

"And that would be you?" Tarzana asked Ruby.

"I guess." Ruby frowned "I don't remember what happened, or how I did what I did."

"All the more reason to keep an eye on you." Qrow said "Make sure you're safe. Not just Ruby, all of you."

"Then why not just travel with us, why all the secret watching?" Ruby asked "that would have been way easier."

"Maybe he just wanted to make a dramatic entrance." I joked.

"Foolish man." Tarzana smirked "This is why we ignore your kind, even if someone like you make a good-I mean you're an idiot."

"You were bait." Jaune told her.

"It's…complicated." Qrow said.

"Will you stop messing around!" Jaune yelled "Ruby's being hunted, the Schools are under attack and all for what? Stop beating around the bush and just tell us the point of all this!"

"You're stressing me out." Qrow groaned "Take a seat."

Jaune, still half angry, took a seat on a log.

"You know not many people are super religious these days." Qrow closed his flask "There are dozens of Gods, the Amazon Sun Goddess, Faunus Gods and more to number the stars. But if you listen to Ozpin…two of them are actually real. The God of Light who found joy in creating life, and his younger brother the God of Darkness spent his time making destruction. The God of Light would make things in the day and at night, enraged at the others creations the God of Darkness would make things to destroy his brother's creations. They continued in a cycle until the younger brother created a being that shared his hatred of creation and love of destruction, he created Grimm. Knowing the feud had to end the older brother posed that they make one last creation together, a masterpiece they could both love, a thing that could create and destroy, it had knowledge to learn about its world and most important, the power to choose…they created man."

"Are you meaning to imply that the Sun Goddess is but a fabrication." Tarzana growled "Watch your tongue worm."

"She's real…I saw her." Neo rubbed her throat "She…burned me, she was real."

Qrow seemed to just ignore our side conversation, whether he knew more or just wasn't trying to piss off three Amazons I wasn't sure.

"The four gifts to mankind aren't just metaphorical, they're real." Qrow said "Knowledge, Creation, Destruction and Choice were given physical form and left with man. If someone were to collect all four they'd change the world, which is what our enemies want. The academies were created to make humanities protectors as well as guarding these relics. The schools are like a fortress, easily able to be defended and always filled with warriors."

"So again, you set us up to do someone else's work." I growled.

"Salem wants the relics." Qrow said "If she gets them it's not gonna end well."

"Say we believe you and there is some crazy strong evil behind this and not just some thugs." Jaune spoke up "Why don't people go after them."

"Shouldn't we be in a hurry to get to Haven?" Nora asked.

"Headmaster Lionheart saw what happened to Beacon, he'll be prepared." Qrow told her "He's not dumb, sides it takes time to mobilize forces like that, they didn't plan their attack on Beacon overnight. We keep this stuff a secret because if everyone knew than there'd be chaos."

"Lionheart…any relation?" Ruby asked me.

"Coincidence." I told her "Just like I doubt you related to ever person with the last name Rose."

"Look I get it, I had the same questions when I first learned this stuff." Qrow said "But Oz always put his foot down about not causing a panic. Salem is smart, she works in the shadows and has others do her work for her. She wants to divide us."

"Then what should we do?" Ruby asked.

"I don't really know." Qrow laughed "Oz has a lot of trust in the headmasters, given the way the other schools operate and that Cinder's crew claimed to be from Haven makes me confident that's the next target. So we'll go to the headmaster, haven't heard from him in a while, even before the last attack. It's late though, we should all get some sleep."

"I trust you Uncle Qrow." Ruby said "But why all the secrecy, why couldn't you have just traveled with us?"

"It's not about trust, it's just a long story." He sighed "Crows are considered bad luck you know, that's how I got my name, some people burst into rose petals, some absorb lightning or grow vines, make themselves look like someone else or turn nearly imperceptible…but some people are just born unlucky, and spread that bad luck everywhere they go. My Semblance isn't like most, it's not something I do it just is, always there if I want it or not, bringing misfortune…Bad Luck Charm, it's great when fighting an enemy but not so great around friends."

"You're just a real bundle of good feelings aren't you." Jaune said.

"I'm like this new edge on you blondie." I laughed.

"I'm taking a walk." Qrow headed out "Get to sleep."

"Nothing else to share mister?" Tarzana asked leaning on her hips.

"Nope…not tonight." He looked off at the trees.

"Let's get to sleep." Tarzana said "I'd wager we have a long couple days ahead of us, you all just finished a fight so I'll take first watch."

"Thanks." I walked passed her.

* * *

**The Next Morning.**

"It's as I thought." Neo coughed looking at Qrow when we woke up "The poison from Tyrian's tail is spreading."

"You were the medic on the team, can you make an antivenom." Tarzana asked.

"I have the tail but not…" she cleared her throat "Not without my tools."

"This is the map Captain." I handed Tarzana Jaune's scribbled on parchment.

"Neopolitan how much time do we have?" she asked.

"Till Sunset." She whispered "After that…"

"Alright we'll move through this mountain range and try and find supplies for the antivenom on the way." Tarzana said.

"Is it that bad?" Ruby asked.

"Don't worry." I rubbed her head "It'll be fine."

_I'm not sure but Ruby's had a rough few days…_

"Okay." She half smiled rubbing her wrists "I'm happy your back, I…missed you. It was kinda weird not having you take some of my blood."

"Yeah, I missed you too." I smiled.

"I mean I missed Weiss and Blake and Yang and stuff too!" she blushed.

"Oh yeah…me to." I laughed.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	25. The Nuckelavee

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

With no time to waste we made a makeshift gurney and got Qrow on it, moving as quick as we could to get to a populated area where Neo could get the last of the tools and supplies she needed. We were rotating between who would carry the makeshift medical bed, who would take point and who'd watch the rear, right now Ruby and Jaune were on carry duty, Neo was keeping an eye on Qrow, Ren and I took the front and Nora and Tarzana had the back.

I looked back and could tell Neo was starting to get a little stressed out, she can tell that she's not fully trusted yet and while she is trying it's not easy without all her usual stuff. Back home the matriarchs are some of the best healers, having knowledge of so many medicines and elixirs, and Neo being from their line means she's the closet thing we've got to a healer.

"Just hang on Uncle Qrow." Ruby said with clear worry in her voice "We'll be there soon."

"Hmm." Neo mumbled something under her breath as Qrow coughed a bit.

"He's getting worse." Jaune said.

"How much farther?" Tarzana asked "Time is dwindling and this map is leading us nowhere."

"We have no way of knowing." Ren said "But I feel like we're close to something."

We soon came to a fork in the road with two options left to proceed since going back was no option.

"Mistral is that way." I pointed left.

"That means we're on the right path!" Nora cheered before she read the sign "Oh…"

"Does it say how far?" Ruby asked me.

"I don't see anything." I shook my head.

"The path goes up into the mountains." Tarzana noted "It won't be feasible to climb that way and carry him."

"He won't make a trip through that." Neo told me clearing her throats "Other path."

"Okay well what about this place?" Ruby asked "Kuroyuri? Maybe we can get help there?"

"That village was destroyed years ago." Ren told her "There's nothing left there."

"If it'll take us around that mountain it's the best shot." Jaune said.

"It will take too long." Ren shook his head.

"If the town had a doctor there may be supplies and tools left that Neopolitan can use." Tarzana said.

"Hmm." Neo nodded up and down rapidly.

"I told you there's nothing there!" Ren snapped in a rare moment of anger.

"He's hiding something." Tar told me.

"Yeah I know." I hummed "What do you think we should do?"

"Let's just split up." Nora said backing Ren up "We'll go up the mountain pass, the Amazons can escort Ruby and Jaune around the long way through the village, we'll meet up in Mistral."

"It's not safe to split up." Jaune said "What if that guy comes back."

"We don't have time to play things safe." Tarzana sighed "If they cut through the mountain perhaps they can get help faster, or locate another place for us to go, we have to cover as may options as possible, or we'll hit our time limit and he will die."

"Tarzana and I will be enough to defend these three." I nodded "Nora and Ren will scout the other way and we'll meet up on the other side."

"Alright." Jaune gave up his protest "Just…be careful and take care of each other."

"We always have." Nora smiled.

We all split up and started moving out, Tarzana took the back like and I had the front.

"They'll be okay." Ruby smiled "Don't worry."

"Hmm…" Tarzana stopped walking.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Something passed by here." She looked at the ground "Make sure to stay alert Leona."

"You got it." I nodded "How big?"

"…too big." She smirked.

"Just how we like it." I laughed.

* * *

**Later**

**Neo's POV**

We made it to the village before sunset but most of it was in ruins, probably had been for a decade or so. There wasn't much left for me to use, certainly not the proper kits for brewing an antivenom.

"How's it looks?" Ruby asked.

I swallowed and cleared up my throat "Not…it's fine. I…stabilized him a little more, he has a few more hours but…time is running out."

I coughed a bit.

"It hurts doesn't it." She told me "You don't have to force yourself to talk to me."

"I…could say the same to you." I told her "I know…none of you trust me."

She sighed "No, I do, Uncle Qrow wouldn't have made it this far if not for you thank you. If I'm being honest at first I didn't but you've done all this, if you were really still against us you wouldn't have bothered and would have taken the chance to hurt our side by killing Uncle Qrow. Even without that I trust you…because Leona trusts you and I trust her."

"You are…kind." I hummed "I see now, why they hate you so much. They're so hateful and you're…very kind. I see now why Leona likes you."

"We just, get each other I guess." She rubbed her wrists.

"These scars, you…bleed for her?" I asked.

"I few times back at school when she got her…umm urges." Ruby blushed.

I looked at her wrists.

_These scars…she fed on Ruby a lot._

"So we didn't even fight…at full strength." I hummed.

"What was that?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing." I smiled.

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"I can't find a damn thing here." I told the others.

"OREEAAAAA!" I heard a screeching in the distance.

"Sounds far off." Ruby hummed meeting up with us.

"For now…" Tar mumbled a bit.

"What's with the look Ruby?" I looked at her.

"It's my fault, I dragged everyone along to follow me on this stupid trip and now…" she frowned "I should have just gone on my own."

"You didn't drag us in." Jaune said "We're here cause we want to be."

"Adventuring with you is all I ever liked doing since I came here." I told her "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"But Tyrian and-." She said.

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself." Tarzana told her "It gets us nowhere. You have people fighting with you so accept it, everyone here is fighting for themselves and the other members of this team, we all should be prepared to throw our lives on the line for each other."

"Hmm." Neo smiled.

"We're out here to make something of this whole crazy situation." I put a hand on her shoulder "So relax, and have some faith we can all handle ourselves."

"ORREEEEEAAAAA!"

"It's getting closer." I reached back for my blade.

"I've never heard anything like it." Ruby told me.

"Screeching…this level of destruction…the footprints." Tar mumbled "So the beast does exist and we walked right into its home territory, I thought it only a Grimm of legend."

"Time to add something new to the hunting book?" I asked "What is it?"

"A Nuckelavee." Tar hummed.

"What's that?" Ruby asked.

"Half man, half horse and all Grimm." Tarzana told her "I wager we have…five minutes till it arrives."

It's moving that fast?" Jaune asked.

"What part of half horse did you not hear?" I growled hefting Bloodsplitter onto my shoulder.

"Prepare as quickly as you can." Tarzana said "Move Qrow while you can. This village is about to become a battlefield.

We took our brief opening to move Qrow to a safer spot in the village and figure out the best place to strike from, it helped that Ren and Nora showed back up too. It was quite for a while, the only sound that of horse like clopping and then it showed up, it was a horse and riser like creature, but the rider had no legs, merged with the horse. The rider had horns and lonk tenril like arms with three fingers each. A quiver's worth of arrows had been lodged in its back but the creature paid them no mind.

"ORRRRREEEEE!" it roared loudly as it stepped around us.

"Begin." Tarzana yelled.

"HRRAAA!" I jumped off a roof and planned to just chop it in half with my blade but before I could get close it's arms stretched out at incredible speed and knocked me out of the air.

"Leona!" Ruby took some long distance shots to allow me to recover.

"Shit, it's really strong!" I laughed "I LOVE IT!"

"Don't get too cocky." Tarzana flashed by me.

In one fluid movement without breaking stride she reached down and pulled to machete like blades out of her calf holsters.

"HYA!" she slashed it's crooked fingered hands back.

"She's quick." Ruby told me.

"She's just warming up." I told her.

The top half of the Nuckelavee suddenly went limp as the horse started moving forward.

"Blasted creature." Tarzana went back in and jumped up into the air.

"She's doing it." I hummed.

"What?" Ruby asked.

"Her Semblance." I explained "You know how when you spin around you get dizzy, well that can't happen to Tarzana, she's like a living gyroscope, she can spin her body any which way and never lose her orientation thanks to her power of **Cyclone"**

Tarzana spun around in the air and like a buzz saw sliced into the beasts back. The horse half came to a halt and the human like portion sat up like some sort of crudely maneuvered puppet.

"OREEEAAAAA!" it screamed again and started charging.

"HMPH!" Ren palmed the ground and used his powers to mask us from view.

Once we had a chance to regroup Nora unloaded with a barrage of her grenades while Ruby and I gave a little more covering fire.

"Neo can you knock it out." I asked loading up another arrow.

"Too big." She shook her head "Can't do much."

"RAA!" the beast tried to swing at us so I quickly used my blade to block it, but it seemed to have no issue scooping me up and sending me flying.

"HYAAAP!" Tarzana clicked her blades together to make a glaive and threw it like at the beasts head and caught it on the return trip.

"Any ideas?" I asked her standing up.

"The two halves are always moving separately." She explained "The top half doesn't seem to attack while the horse is walking, and while the top attacks the horse stays still, it can't manage both halves simultaneously."

"So then let's twist it up." Jaune went back at it "Run in a circle!"

"ORRREAAAA!" the Nuckelavee roared as we circled around it.

"It's getting confused!" Ruby said.

"EEERRRRRAAAAAR!" it twisted it's top half and spun in place to catch up with us and knock us back,.

"Way to jinx it." I laughed landing next to Ruby.

"Well it was working for a bit." She pouted.

"This thing is smarter than it looks." I hummed.

"HMM!" Neo slid under it, dragging her knife across it's underbelly "AH!"

The horse reared back and bucked her away, causing her to fly over and crash into me.

"Thanks." She jumped up.

"Oh yeah, you're very welcome." I rolled my eyes a bit.

Still the slice to the undersized was enough to piss the thing off even more.

"REEEEEAAAAOOOOOEEE!" it reared back and roared, the horns on its head and the spikes on it's back getting more noticeable and savage like.

"It's getting stronger?!" Nora yelled in disbelief.

"Alright it's getting strong!" I cheered.

"I haven't had a hunt this good in years." Tarzana smiled.

"ORRRRREEEEEEE!" the Nuckelavee roared like a banshee as its mouth opened all the way.

While it has us stunned with its sonic burst the beast slammed Ren into a wall, pinning him down.

"Gimme a boost!" Nora ran at me.

"You got it." I held my hand out.

She jumped up and landed on my hand, I pulled back at the same time and threw her like a fastball.

"ORRAAA!" I hurled her as fast as I could.

Nora used her hammer to block the beasts other arm from hitting Ren, but ended up being pinned herself before being tossed like a ragdoll.

"Okay, I believe we can kill this beast." Tarzana told me "It's been some time but can you still preform **that technique."**

"I still know it yeah." I nodded "Neo?"

Hmm." She nodded "But…it's been a long time."

"It will work." Tarzana hummed "You four buy us a few moments will you, allow the Amazons to end this if you would.

* * *

**NO POV**

The others provided the needed covering fire while the Amazons got into positions.

"We will explain this to you as a courtesy." Tarzana spoke "For it's tradition to know how you will die."

"We have to explain it because once we start you'll be in such unbearable pain you won't be able to even comprehend it." Leona added.

"I will start." Neo said "But severing the veins on your wrists, ankles and neck."

"After which I'll cleave you clean in two." Leona explained.

"You will be launched skyward and fall back to the earth." Tarzana said "Where I will slice you into a million pieces. Oh and all of this…"

Each of them held up a hand with all fingers out.

"Will take Fifteen Seconds!" they yelled.

"Fifteen seconds?" Nora gasped.

"There's no way something like that…" Ren hummed.

"Begin!" Tarzana yelled.

Neo had already gotten close via one of her illusion techniques, her body dashed around the larger creature as she used her Veinripper to cut open the Nuckelavee's ankles, wrists and neck.

"Five…Leona!" she yelled.

"HRRRAAAA!" I physically strongest of the three yelled running in, her Bloodsplitter dragging around along the ground.

The beast was in clear pain from Neo's ripping assault which allowed Leona to easily get close, bring her blade upwards in a slicing motion and cut the monster clean in two, knocking it into the air.

"Ten…It's all you Tar!"

Their leader stepped in slowly, pulling her blades out of their holsters, she looked up and got into position, activating her **Cyclone** she spun in place like a top, the two halves falling into her kill zone and being chewed up like it was a blender.

"Fifteen!" she yelled as the beast two halves landed.

"Did it not work?" Jaune asked.

"Hmph." The three tribal all looked up.

" **Amazon's Triangle Attack- Fifteen Second Slaughter: Viscera Rain!"**

The Nuckelavee suddenly exploded into a cloud of black and red dust.

"Holy crap." The other four awed.

"They're…insanely strong." Ruby gulped "and I thought Leona was freakishly powerful but she never even showed us something like that."

"We've slowed down." Tarzana said "That took seventeen seconds, Leona."

"How's it my fault you're the one who took her sweet ass time getting into her position." The red head yelled back.

"You knocked it up to high, it took to long to fall that's what slowed us down!" Tarzana snapped back.

"That's the first time we've done it in over five years." Neo said "I think that was still pretty good."

* * *

**Later**

**Leona's POV**

Apparently all the commotion from our fight was enough to draw the attention of a nearby platoon who picked up us and took us Mistral where Neo was able to get the tools and assistance to heal Qrow.

"Writing a letter?" I saw Ruby sitting at a desk.

"Uhh yeah, it's for Yang." She smiled.

"See I told you not to worry it all worked out." I rubbed her head.

"Leona…thanks for coming back." She smiled "I really mean it."

"I know, I'm happy to be back, that place was keeping me different, I know what I did was wrong but I have to accept that I did what I did and try not to let it happen again." I told her "With Neo and Tar around, hopefully I can be more reliable now."

"You won't…never mind." She sighed.

"No, what is it?" I asked.

"It's just with your old friends here and now that I see you have all these special things you can do with them and not us, you're not gonna leave the team are you?" she asked.

"What would make you think that?" I asked "Just cause my old team is here, doesn't mean I'm not still your teammate, you, me, Weiss, Black and Yang will always be a team. I love fighting with you Ruby, I love being around you, there's something I get from being with you that I don't get with Tar or Neo, or anyone else."

"Yeah, me too." She smiled "You know…that team attack was pretty cool."

"You and I will have to work on something even better then." I smiled "Sound good?"

"Heck yeah it does!" she laughed "Oh shouldn't yell, Uncle Qrow is sleeping."

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	26. Blood Red Rose

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

With Qrow still out of commission for a day or two we couldn't go to Haven Academy and Meet the Headmaster, so the gang and I were doing a little sightseeing. Ren and Nora were still back at the hospital since we figured someone should stay with Qrow, Ruby volunteered but my goal was to get her out for a bit so I made her come.

"It's a busy place." We walked through the main market.

"Hmm." Neo nodded.

"Are all outside lands this populated?" Tarzana asked.

"It varies." Ruby told her "This is a major city, but I grew up in a pretty small place in the woods."

"Still, there are an awful lot of men around." Tarzana sighed.

"You like it." I laughed.

"N-No I don't!" she sputtered.

"Hehehe." Neo snickered

"Are you sure cause you've been staring at like every guy that walks by." I said.

"Silence." She glared "I have no attraction to men, I am merely staring because I have seen so few, I'm…studying them."

"Studying their pecs." I whispered to Ruby.

She giggled a bit "You guys are fun, thanks I needed this."

"Hmm, Leona." Neo tugged my arm "Look at this."

* * *

**NO POV**

"They ran off." Ruby noted.

"Those two never change." Tarzana smiled "Always so adventurous."

"Was Leona like that growing up?" Ruby asked her.

"Somewhat." She shrugged "She liked to explore, but usually by herself but Neo and I usually ended up with her."

"How did you guys meet?" She asked more questions.

"Well my family line is that of hunters who serve the chiefs family, so I've known Neopolitan since we were just infants." Tarzana said "We met Leona when she barged into the sacred area demanding to fight with the Matriarch."

"Huh?"

"Apparently she wanted to prove that she was stronger than even our greatest warrior." Tarzana sighed "She was defeated in about thirty seconds."

"Oh." Ruby laughed.

"You look surprised." Tarzana noted.

"Well, I don't know, knowing Leona I figured she'd have been freakily strong as a kid or something, but it sounds like she was kinda bad."

"You misunderstand." Tarzana said "Most grown warriors would barely last fifteen seconds against our leaders."

"Wait so she really was freakishly strong!" Ruby gasped.

"Still, she was the child of a woman shunned by our tribe, but they saw her potential, Neo even more so was fascinated by her." Tarzana sighed "Shockingly they are strangely compatible. When Neo vanished Leona became quite irate and went back to her seclusion."

"So their like Best Friends?" Ruby asked.

"Hmm…something like that." Tarzana shrugged observing Jaune shopping "Oh my, he tripped…how adorable.

"Uhh…okay." Ruby laughed it off.

"Still, I feel I owe you greatly." Tarzana told Ruby "There was fear that when Leona was sent here that she'd destroy any attempt at relations with her sour attitude, I was pleased to see you've gotten her to open up so much. Just what…is your relationship with Leona?"

"Hmm?" Ruby shrugged a bit "I…wish I knew myself."

"I see." She hummed going back to observing the men around her.

* * *

**Later**

**Leona's POV**

"What's up Ruby?" I asked when I saw her sitting on the steps outside the hospital "You should get some sleep before we head out to the Academy tomorrow."

"Yeah I know." She said sitting there in her PJs and a sweatshirt "I was having a bit of trouble sleeping."

"Something bugging you?" I sat with her.

She did that thing she always does anymore when she's nervous, she rubbed her wrists.

"Just a little…ugh this is so frustrating!" she groaned "Leona…I know this sounds super weird but…could you drink my blood again?"

"Huh?"

"I miss the feeling." She blushed holding her arm out "J-Just take a bit."

"Seriously?" I was frankly confused "I mean I don't really need to but…sure."

"HMM!" she gasped as I kissed her wrists and used a small blade to cut her wrist open.

"There?" I licked her wrist better.

"Yeah…" she panted a bit and wrapped her wrist up "I…missed that. Leona…what, what exactly do you think about me?"

"What's bothering you lately?" I asked.

"I don't know." She hugged her knees "All this weird stuff's been happening and now I've got all these weird feelings in my head and…it's just a lot at once I guess."

"Hmm." I nodded.

"I see what happened to Jaune and Pyrrha and…I don't want that to happen to me." She looked up at me "Leona…I need to know if we're more than just friends, because I've never had feelings like this about another girl or even any boys and…I think we are."

I just shrugged "Hadn't really thought about it all that much, but I guess."

"I mean, I'm willing to at least try if you wanna." She blushed leaning on me bit.

"Alright, sounds good." I nodded back, trying not to blush myself.

"Good." She smiled softly and kissed my cheek playfully "Uh…what now?"

"You're asking me like I know anything about relationships." I laughed.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	27. Mistral

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"Ruby, ready to go?" I walked up to the girl.

"Time already." She jumped up.

"Qrow's out of bed and he's sick of sitting around." I told her "So it's probably best we get this done sooner rather than later. Especially since Tarzana mentioned feeling followed the other day at the market."

"Okay!" she cheered hugging my arm.

I blushed a bit at her affectionate hug, I was still trying to adjust to the new state of our relationship. We hadn't really told anyone about stuff like that but given how much more Ruby is sticking close and holding my hand it's not exactly subtle.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No." I smiled "I don't mind at all."

"Hmm." She smiled at me.

We met up with the others and Qrow showed us to some hidden transport tunnels we could use to approach Haven Academy unseen. It was a bit of a walk but we were there before nightfall. I had a bad vibe, the situation felt tense. Neo wasn't saying much and sticking out of view, I had a feeling she felt uncomfortable after all Cinder's team from the Festival claimed to be from Haven so being her now must be a little strange and there was a certain amount of vitriol coming off Qrow.

"Is there a problem?" I said cutting the tension and speaking up.

We stopped walking, it was something the others were seemingly trying to avoid but that's not really how I work I guess.

"Let's just keep moving." Qrow said.

"I asked a question." I stared him down.

"Leona?" Ruby got a bit nervous.

"If you don't want Neo here than just say it!" I growled.

"Hmm…" the short girl mumbled a bit.

"I'm letting you guys use the secret tunnels, I don't need one of Salem's former dogs leaking them out." He said.

"And Neo won't do that." I held my ground "You're judging her for something no one else here is, she's been accepted by the rest of this team, you're not the boss you don't make those calls."

I pushed harder.

"Just because you showed up all the sudden and had more answers doesn't make you the leader of this band of misfits, we all came here for our own reasons, not to listen to you." I told him "Ad far as I'm concerned you're not the boss of me, I'm here for Ruby, not you. Neo is a member of this team and you alone don't get to decide if she stays or goes. Not to mention she stuck her neck out to save your sorry poisoned ass and if it wasn't for her we'd be putting oyu in the ground back at Kuroyuri!"

I walked passed him "Now let's keep moving, without more distractions over your bullshit old man."

"Leona!" Ruby ran behind me "Are you alright?"

"I'm pissed off." I told her.

"Yeah but that's kinda how you usually are." She laughed a bit.

"You trust her right Ruby?" I asked.

"If you trust her than I trust her." She smiled "But Uncle Qrow it's…different for him you know."

"I guess." I mumbled.

"Just…try not to get to on his bad side okay?" she held my hand "For me?"

"For you, I can try." I mumbled.

* * *

**Later**

We walked the tunnels for a while, a couple hours at the least I think.

"Are we there yet?" Nora whined.

"Yes." Qrow told her.

"It's about time!" she sighed.

We came to a big wooden door at the end of the cold story hall, we pushed it open and light bled through before it opened fully and revealed the mountain side city of Mistral.

"So big." Ruby awed.

"Large shopping areas." Tarzana hummed "is there anything they don't sell here?"

"Nope, they sell anything even if they shouldn't." Qrow explained "Stay away from the foot of the mountains, the lower you go the worse this place gets."

"Well good thing we're going all the way to the top!" Nora cheered.

We tried not to waste anymore time, preparing and heading into the Academy grounds, it was very rural a stark difference to the metal and technology at Beacon.

"Well…we made it." Ruby smiled.

"It took a bit longer than we hoped." Tar shrugged.

"But we got here without too much trouble." I told Ruby "So come on."

"Hmm…" Neo looked around.

"Are you coming?" Ruby asked her.

"Yes." She nodded walking with the rest of us.

"There's no people around." Tar noted "Keep steady."

"Right." I looked around "Is school out?"

"Maybe, it's not really in session right now." Jaune said "But…"

"There should still be a few stragglers who didn't go home for break." Ren said.

"We should get ready." Qrow engaged his scythe.

"I like the sound of that." I laughed reaching for my blade.

We busted the door open and came face to face with some old grey haired Faunus man.

"AHH!" he yelled grabbing his chest.

"AHH!" Qrow jumped back.

"Did we…give him a heart attack?" Neo asked "No, never mind."

"Professor Lionheart?" Ruby asked.

_This guy shares a name with me…how pathetic._

"For crying out loud you nearly scared me to death." The man stood up.

"Me?" Qrow grumbled "You were supposed to be waiting for us at the entrance."

_He told this man we were coming?_

"Huh?" the man took out a pocket watch "Oh, seems I lost track of time, apologies."

"Where is everyone?" Nora asked.

"Oh you must be the students." He looked us over we all gave our formal introductions and he responded in kind with his "I'm Leonardo Lionheart I'm afraid all my staff is on break till classes resume."

"You can't be serious?" Qrow asked "Who's guarding the relic?"

"Swell start." I laughed.

"Weak." Tarzana sighed.

We went into his office where Lionheart and Qrow started getting into a bit of a spat about the right course of action.

"Your kingdom wasn't the only one suffering that day." Lionheart said "My city has been in chaos, all the people watching when that girl was ripped to pieces."

"I mean technically she wasn't a real girl." I mumbled "I've seen more violence in cartoons."

"Leona." Tarzana shot me a look telling me to shut up.

"IT was enough negativity to make the Grimm come for us." He said "Mistral has the widest reaching controlled territory, what little forces we have left are spread unbearably thin, we've already lost so many great huntsman, some of them teachers here. Now the council is at odds with the Atlas council about the Dust Embargo and now they want to close borders I'm not sure what happened to James in Vale but it's only worsened his poorer tendencies. And with all this…we still don't know where the Spring Maiden is."

"That's all the more reason to have the Huntsmen and Huntresses here." Qrow said.

"Seems things are bad all over." I said.

"What else is new out here in the wilds." Tar sighed.

"Why's the Maiden so important?" Ruby asked.

"The Maidens can preform true magic and are the only ones able to access the relics." Lionheart said.

"What genius decided that was a good idea." I grumbled "Oh wait…"

_This business is way too complicated._

"Spring is the problem?" Qrow sighed.

"What happened to her?" Ren asked.

"She was determined at first but the weight of her responsibility proved too much." The Professor explained "She abandoned her training and ran, no telling where she is now."

"I know." Qrow said "Or I've got a good idea at the least. But it's not good news, looks like she got picked up by Bandits, Raven's tribe."

"That woman." I grumbled "Yang's Mother."

"This is about where they've set up their base." He pulled up a map "Raven's got a lot of followers."

"We can mount a retrieval force and head out in a few weeks." Lionheart said.

"A few…weeks?" Neo strained to speak up "We won't have…few weeks."

"We need to go as soon as possible." Qrow said getting louder.

"This kingdom is in shambles, as soon as possible doesn't mean tomorrow." Leo told him "I need to convince the rest of the council that I need huntsman more than they do, bandit tribes aren't high on the priority list."

"Then let's just do it ourselves." Qrow said.

"I like that, fighting against the odds." I laughed.

"We have to be positive we can succeed, if we fail Raven's tribe will scatter and we'll never find them again." Lionheart said.

"Cowardly man." I growled.

"Hm." Ruby giggled a bit.

"If we only have one chance it will need to be the perfect chance, no mistakes." Tar said.

"What about Cinder." Jaune suddenly cut in "She claimed to come from here with Mercury and Emerald."

"We pulled their files but it was nothing but forgeries." Lionheart said.

"Tsk…" Jaune clenched his fist.

"Hmm…" Neo blinked.

_He didn't…_

"Well this hasn't been a warm reunion." Qrow sighed "We'll stay in the city, keep in touch."

"I'll do what I can to help." Leo said.

"It was…interesting to meet you." I said "I take it we're the first Amazon's you've seen before."

"Yes, you're quite something." He smiled.

"Yup." I walked out.

We closed the door behind us and headed out into the courtyard.

"He's…lying." Neo told me.

"Yeah, I know." I patted her head.

"We must watch…for traps." She coughed "Watch for…Arthur."

* * *

**Later**

With nothing to do but wait we headed to a safehouse in the area and hunkered down for a bit. I told Neo to keep what she knew about Lionheart between me, her and Tar for now, not that Lionheart was really subtle in his obvious lies, if we had talked much longer he would have tripped over his words before long, his already caught in a web of his own lies and deceits.

"Haa." I yawned a bit sitting on the couch, I had been sitting with Ruby but she was reading a comic book and I was getting itchy from not doing anything, so instead I went into the main room to sharpen Bloodsplitter.

There was suddenly a knocking on the door, no one was sure if we should answer or not.

"Fine I'll do it." I stepped up.

"Neopolitan and I will cover you." Tarzana took position on the right side of the door.

"Hmm." Neo took the left and readied her knife just in case.

I pulled the door open and looked down at some shrimpy sun tanned twerp.

"I don't want anything you're selling shrimp." I said "What is it?"

"Is there a…" he spoke softly.

"Speak up!" I snapped.

"Is there a Ruby Rose here?" he asked.

"Who's asking?" I lowered my eyes intensely.

_Is it someone else after Ruby?_

"Well…" the kid started to answer before he nearly toppled over when Qrow dead weighted on him.

"I found him~" Qrow slurred.

"He's drunk." Tarzana sighed putting her blades away.

"Severe intoxication." Neo shook her head "I'll…prepare hangover cure."

"I Uhh think her uncle could use some help." The boy said.

"We'll take care of him." I said "Thanks you can go."

"I found him!" Qrow yelled again flopping on the couch.

"What is going on out here!" Ruby stormed out "Can't a girl read in peace?!"

She quickly stopped talking when she saw the state her uncle was in.

"Haa…" she sighed and rubbed the sides of her head "Is he drunk again?"

"Maybe?" the man said.

"Yes." We all told her.

"You…have Silver Eyes." The boy walked towards Ruby.

"Did I say you could enter." I growled low and grabbed his wrist.

"Who are you?" Ruby asked him.

"Well, my name is Oscar Pine." He told us "But you probably know me as Professor Ozpin?"

"Hmm." I lifted him up by his one arm "How the hell…why would you…?"

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	28. Ozpin and Oscar

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"He must have aged backwards!" Nora said.

"His skin's a different color." I noted.

"He's possessed then?" Jaune suggested.

"This is weird." Ruby said.

"Haa…." I sighed as everyone seemingly hid behind me.

_What do they expect me to do about it?!_

"Hmm." I leaned in and looked at him.

"Well Leona?" Tarzana asked.

"Beats me, I've never heard of anything like this." I told her "Maybe he just bonked his head and thinks he's Ozpin?"

"Everyone just relax for a bit." Qrow said "I'm sure this is strange for everyone."

Oscar, that's what the kid called himself, seemed to calm down when Ruby smiled at him.

"Grr." I made a point to loudly crack my knuckles and send him a hint to stop staring.

"Neo." I looked at the girl who was being extra quiet "Thoughts?"

"I…don't know." She coughed "Never heard of…such thing."

"Ozpin, he once visited the jungle." Tar noted "If you are him as you say Oscar Pine…you must prove it to us."

"Umm…yeah." He nodded "Just so you know I'll still be here."

He closed his eyes and I felt his Aura shift.

"It very good to see you again students." He said.

"Uhh…what just happened?" Jaune asked.

"They switched places." Tar leaned closer "Fascinating."

"I'm sure this is all quite perplexing." He said.

"And weird, bizarre, alarming and you know just really kind of hard to believe." Nora sputtered out.

"…what she said." Neo nodded.

"It's good you're all in high spirits." He said "I know you've all been through a lot lately."

"It's not your fault." Ruby said.

"No, it's all my fault." He told us "I told you once before I'd made more mistakes than anyone else on the planet, I wasn't exaggerating. I am cursed, for thousands of years I have been living, dying and reincarnating in the body of a like minded soul. The Professor Ozpin you met was not my first body, and clearly not the last. It's a strenuous process on all parties involved."

"So…" I hummed "What are you?"

"I am the combination of countless men who have spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnent." He explained "Each time my soul eventually merges with another and I am changed, but my memories remain. This curse was bestowed upon me by the gods for failing to stop Salem in the past, we must stop her now."

"Hmm." Neo rubbed her neck.

"How do we do that?" Ruby asked.

"We start by ensuring the safety of the Relic of Knowledge." He continued while getting a cup of coffee.

"We can't get in." Tarzana noted "We have no Maiden as you call it."

"Can't tell…Leo." Neo coughed "too dangerous."

"What do you mean?" ruby asked.

"Don't trust, Leo…" Neo coughed more "Work with…Arthur."

"Neo says that we can't trust Lionheart since apparently she heard through her evil grapevine that he's not on the up and up." I elaborated.

"Surely you noticed how defensive he was being." Tarzana added "For someone who should have just gotten good news he didn't get overly excited; his demeanor was nervous…he was lying to us. If he is compromised like Neopolitan says then telling him Ozpin has returned would be poor, he would only report it to that Arthur fellow."

"I had the same thought when Qrow informed me of your meeting." Ozpin stood up "he's already ignored specific instructions I'd left for him. No one outside this room knows I'm paired to Oscar, we should keep it that way."

"That still leaves the issue of the Maiden that's with Bandits." I grumbled "The eight of us won't be enough."

"Leave finding more huntsman to me." Qrow said "I know some people."

"That's step one, we still have step two." Ozpin said.

"What's that?" Nora asked.

"Getting you lot in fighting shape." He said twirling the cane.

"We already know how to fight." Ruby said.

"You are too dependent on Crescent Rose and have little skill in hand to hand." He pointed at Ruby, Mr. Arc still has yet to activate his Semblance, Miss Neopolitan and her friends are one bad drug trip away from being nothing more than blood addicted beasts, I've seen none of Miss Tarzana's combat abilities and Leona is still too focused on rushing headlong into every fight. You all have a long way to go."

"If we're dishing out critiques I've got a few for you." I looked at Oscar "Puny little man."

"A hunter is only as strong as her blade is sharp." Tar said "That is a saying we Amazons have."

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked.

"It means that not matter who freaky strong the individual may be, if their weapon is nothing but a stick they'll be useless."

"You have similar saying here." Neo squeaked out "Chain only as strong as weakest link."

"And right now, our weak link is the brat." I growled "Oscar is just some tiny farm brat, he's barely in shape and his Aura is weaker than a wet paper bag."

"He needs to train himself." Tarzana said.

* * *

**Later**

"GRA!" I pushed up off the ground.

"Again." Neo laughed sitting on my back as I did pushups.

"You know this isn't the impressive, you're not the world's heaviest weight you know." I laughed.

"Here you are." Tarzana walked out and joined her in sitting on my back.

"I'm not a fricken bench you know." I growled continuing my work out.

"I'm borrowing your Whetstone." She reached into my pocket.

"Fine." I growled a bit pushing up again.

"So tell me," she started swiping her blade over the stone "What did you think of what happened today?"

"Hmm…" I pushed up as sweat beaded down my nose "He's hiding something still."

"I thought the same thing." She spoke over the scraping noise "It bothers me."

"Every thing bothers you." Neo giggled.

"You know what I mean, I don't think we should trust everything he says." Tar added "It's all just too convenient, we remain hidden in the jungles for centuries and suddenly he's one of the first people to show up after we make contact, he lets Leona into his school, he can reincarnate, it does not seem like it was all just strange coincidence."

"What do you think it is?" I asked.

"I don't know." She sighed "But something else."

She looked at me.

"You and Ruby Rose, just what are you doing?" Tar glared.

"What?" I glared back.

"Keep focused on why we are here is all." She said "To learn about the humans outside the jungle, to learn about this society."

"I can do that and be close with Ruby, it won't get in the way." I told her "Besides, I see you scoping out every guy we pass on the street."

"That's for research on potential breeders!" she blushed "Besides it doesn't hurt anyone if I look at for example Ren's smooth, hard…personality."

"Oh sure." I laughed.

"We should but our best foot forward with this training." Tar told me "We need to control it better, without the blood we can't reach full strength, but it's also dangerous and too risky to keep relying on Neopolitan's concoction."

"For now I think our focus should be on preparing Oscar and the others." I said "We can focus on controlling the Bloodlust and Rage later, we've been trained since our birth to hunt and fight, the same can't be said for them, our skills out class there's but we can't be held back by them."

"Fear not leave them to me." Tarzana tossed me back the stone "I'll have them in fighting shape in no time."

"Ohh you're gonna be in charge." I laughed.

"Try not to kill them okay." Neo said.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**


	29. Beat Down

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"Morning." I hummed as Ruby walked down the stairs in her PJs "You're up early."

"You too." She hugged my "Why?"

"I'm supposed to be helping that brat train today but he's lazy." I growled.

"Don't be too hard on him okay." She said going to get a drink "We don't want him reincarnating a second time already."

"I'm not holding back." I cracked my knuckles "Oscar let's go!"

"Right!" he stumbled down the stairs.

"Ugh." I groaned "This is gonna suck."

I trudged my way upstairs to the roof area and unstrapped some of my weapons, laying them on the side.

"Hit me." I told Oscar.

"What?"

"Hit me." I growled "We're not playing around, use your cane and hit me."

"Okay…" he clutched the rod "HAA!"

"Too slow!" I grabbed it, yanked it out of his hand, the boy stumbling into me and allowing me to headbutt him.

"OW!" he rubbed his head.

"Try again." I told him "I'm not holding back."

He charged in again and this time I just punched him in the stomach and then over hand pushed him down.

"Can we take a break." He groaned holding his stomach.

"Nope." I sighed "Oz said that you should have the reflexive abilities he has been clearly you don't, or at least their slow coming out. I figure if I keep drilling it into you I'll force it to the surface-HMP!?"

I held my arm up and blocked a punch.

I weaved in and out of a few more blows, and even took one on the chin.

"It's not fair if you're the one fighting back Oz!" I laughed sweeping his leg before picking him up by arm, spinning him around and throwing him into the ground.

He slid to a halt and charged back at me, ducking under a punch and catching me with an uppercut.

"RAH!" I headbutted him again and picked him up "That tiny body holds you back weakling!"

I threw him down and yawned.

"Well done." Oz said.

"I worked out my morning excitement, but gimme back Oscar." I said "Training with you isn't gonna help the kid any."

"Of course." He bowed and Oscar shifted back.

"Oww…" he groaned.

"Your body still gets damage, so if I throw Oz around you're gonna feel it too." I told him "Now let's try this again, we'll stop when you actually manage to hit me for once."

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Just a Quick training update, more next time.**

**Till Next Time!**


	30. Spar

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"HRAAA!" I lifted my cleaver up and swung it wide.

"HMPH!" Tarzana spun in place and used both her glaives to block my swing, a scraping sound slicing into the air as the metals scraped across from each other.

"Go Leona!" Ruby cheered.

My friend and I were sparring for a bit, I was always up to a fight and Tar was looking to try some moves out so it seemed like as good a time as any.

"HMM!" I dug my fingers into the ground **"Overgrow!"**

Vines and roots burst from the ground and flew right towards the tanned girl, she notched her blades' handles together to make her full glaive, she held it in front of her and started spinning, making a saw like disc that chewed though the plant life, turning it into mulch.

"RAH!" I took the opening to jump in and punch her hard in the face.

" **Cyclone!"**

She spun up and forced my to jump back to avoid getting sliced open.

"Aren't you two getting a bit rough for a spar?" Ruby asked.

"We're still warming up!" I laughed.

"Hmm." Neo nodded at Ruby.

"You've gotten rusty, must be from all that time lazing around in that padded cell." Tarzana smirked.

"RAAAH!" I used the crack in the ground from my vines to lift up a slap "Take this!"

I hurled it at her but she flicked her blades to swipe clean through it, the rocks crashing and kicking up dust behind her. She quickly dashed in to strike, her blades looking to snip my head off like a pair of loppers.

"HMHP!" I grabbed her wrists to stop her and then slammed into her with a painful headbutt.

"Tsk." She slid back **"Cyclone!"**

She dashed back in again while spinning like a death top, I quickly pulled out Bloodsplitter and blocked her, once again her metal scraped against mine. She stopped spinning suddenly and snapped her glaives back into their machete from and did an uppercut swing, sending my heavy blade flying into the air before flipping her weapons back down as she prepared her follow up strike.

"HRA!" I kicked her square in the chest and she rolled back.

"That enough for you?" she asked.

"If you wanna take a break sure." I shrugged picking up my huge blade and strapping it back onto my back.

"That was impressive." Ruby gave us both a water "You both move so well."

"Thanks." I laughed patting her head "anytime you wanna try and keep up with us you're welcome."

"I'll have to pass, you guys are a bit to intense for me." She giggled.

"It's good to see you've mostly shaken off your rust." Tarzana nodded "Though you could use a bit more focus."

"Everyone always says that jeez!" I groaned.

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Felt in the mood to write a little sparring.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	31. TALN

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"Hmm…" I found Tar on the roof in contemplation, her parrot on her wrist.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Go!" she threw her arm out and Garuda took off "receiving correspondence from our home…"

"And?" I asked.

"Well, I am supposed to let you and Neo know that I was not the only one to leave sometime ago." She looked back half heartedly "Our fourth is on her way."

"Hmm…" I growled "Great, just what we needed, dealing with her too."

"Still, she should have reunited with us by now, I hope she didn't get into too much trouble." Tarzana said.

"Don't worry." Neo stepped out and coughed "It's not like…anything can…kill her."

* * *

**NO POV  
** "Hmm…whoa~ whoa~" a soft voice hummed.

"Ugh…what is that blasted racket." Weiss sat up in her cage.

After getting captured by bandits Weiss had woken up and been stripped of her weapon and was now being bothered by someone's unfortunate singing.

She looked into the cage near hers and saw a thin girl with a chest as flat as hers, she had long blonde hair and slightly tanned skin. Her body was covered in a little clothing save for a fur vest top and short tanned hide shorts, the one thing that stuck out to Weiss the most was the array of firework like tattoos spread over her body.

"…she couldn't be…?" Weiss wondered "You there."

"Hmm me?" the girl smiled "Hi there I've been wondering how long you'd keep on just staring hahaha!"

The giggling cackle the girl let out shook Weiss a bit, given their situation this girl should be more serious or upset but she seemed content to just whistle and sing her day away.

"The sun sure is nice out." She looked up at the sunrise.

"I suppose it is…" Weiss rolled her eyes and checked for guards.

"Planning to escape? Haha!"

"Not so loud!" Weiss hissed "But…yes."

"Coll can I come I'm super bored of sitting around here and I have places to be." She laughed "It was fun for a bit but I'm getting bored now!"

"I have no intentions of leaving anyone stuck here…but I believe we are the only prisoner's." The white-haired girl said "I'm Weiss Schnee."

"I heard Vernal mention your name." the girl said "I'm Aria Solaris."

Weiss got to work using her little knight to cut her and Aria's bindings, in the mean time quite the commotion started to build up in the main area of the bandits' camp until a man came flying though one of the storage stacks and let the girls see.

"Yang?!" Weiss gasped seeing the blonde

"Weiss!" The other girl yelled.

"ARIA!" the blonde giggled to herself "Oh sorry."

"Okay the subtle approach went out the window." Weiss sighed having her knight grow and break the cage.

"Yay we're free!" Aria cheered.

"What is that thing?" Yang asked seeing the giant specter "And who's she."

"Not important, what are you doing here?" Weiss asked.

"That's my Mom and she can take us to Ruby." Yang pointed to a woman with a similar appearance and black hair.

"Ruby…OH!" Aria clapped "How fun I'm looking for a Ruby Rose too!"

"Your Mom kidnapped me?!" Weiss yelled.

"You kidnapped her?!" Yang snapped.

The bandits were getting all riled up, at one point one pulled out a pistol and aimed.

"Be careful now!" Aria leaned over and took the shot right in the dome.

"Oh my god!" Weiss yelled.

Aria laid motionless for a while before she suddenly sat up good as new, even the bullet hole was gone "That wasn't very nice!"

"What the hell?" Yang gasped.

"Doesn't matter what you do~" Aria pulled a sword out of her side from anther bandit "I told you when you first caged me, nothing you do matters…you could call in a Grimm, even tear off my limbs-GRAH!"

She smiled when a bolt of lightning struck her.

"Even if you strike me with lightning I WON'T DIE! HAHAHAH!" she laughed sitting up.

"Enough!" Raven yelled.

"What is this girl?" Weiss wondered.

"If you don't all knock it off this place will end up crawling in Grimm…now give those girls their weapons back." Raven said.

Vernal handed over Weiss sword and someone rolled out an oversized sack for Aria.

"My stuff!" Aria cheered hefting up a bag.

"You three my tent now." Raven growled.

"Why should we?" Yang asked.

"If you're going after your sister you'll need the truth." Raven turned away.

"Sorry about that-." Yang started before Weiss hugged her.

"Aww touching friends, I want a reunion like that with my friends!" Aria smiled "Though I don't thin they'd be as welcoming."

"You said you were looking for Ruby…why?" Yang asked with a bit of a glare.

"I was told that if I wanted to find one of my friends I should look for her." Aria smiled "Haha what luck meeting you here!"

"The Tattoos, knowing Ruby, the weird personality." Weiss said "No matter how you slice it this girl's looking for Leona."

"You know Lele!" Aria clapped "Horry new and old friends all abound!"

Aria was humming about as Raven talked, she didn't seem to care about anything the woman said about her past or her family, though she was somewhat impressed about seeing her turn into her namesake bird.

But the second Raven cut them a portal to Qrow she happily hopped on Yang's bike with Weiss and let them head off.

* * *

**Leona's POV**

"Stop picking Nora." I whacked her head "You're supposed to be cooking for multiple people."

"How many people do you think Uncle Qrow will bring back?" Ruby asked "I mean I don't care, we can use all the help we can get.

"I'm back!" the man in question yelled.

"We'll be right there!" Ruby yelled.

"Ruby!" He called again.

"I said I'm coming!" she yelled "Ren take over on this."

"Very well." The tall boy stepped over.

Ruby ran out saying that she just cooked everything since she didn't know how many people were going to be coming. I was leaving her be till I heard her drop something.

"Ruby what's wrong-oh…" I paused when I turned the corner and saw Weiss and Yang there "Well…damn."

"I…" Ruby was stuttering like mad.

"LELE!" a blonde pushed passed them all.

"Aria…" I sighed catching her "You wait your turn!"

I walked passed her and saw Weiss.

"Hey…" I paused.

"Hey…" she shrugged.

"About back then I…I should have-." I tried to apologize.

"It's fine." She smiled "You…weren't yourself."

"Lele!" Aria whined.

"I take it you two found this one?" I gave Yang a high five.

"She got in a little trouble but we bailed her out." Yang looked at her,

"Aria." Tarzana walked out "Where were you?"

"Tata I was…uhh…those bandits were such meanies! They kept killing me over and over!" she whined.

"Hmm…you're fine." Neo smiled.

"Nene…you're the best cousin ever!" the girl hugged her.

"What's she doing here?" Yang looked over.

"Long story, but with Aria back…" I walked over to the other Amazons.

"With this we are complete once more." Tarzana bowed.

"The strongest four Amazons of this Generation." Aria bowed.

"This hunting party of four has a near flawless track record together." I bowed "The Steel Trap Tarzana Tarkata, the Unkillable Aria Solaris, the Raging Leona Lionheart and her Highness Neopolitan."

"My bodyguards and I… "Neo bowed at the waist "Team TALN (Talon) is the righteous weapon of the Sun Goddess wings, and we are at your service to defeat Salem."

"Unkillable?" Ruby asked.

"I saw it myself." Weiss said "She got shot in the head and…just got back up."

"Of course, I did." Aria laughed "As long as the sun still shines this body of mine will never die!"

"Yeah and each time you die you come back a little crazier than the last." I mumbled.

"Well whatever." Yang looked off "Ruby…we need to talk."

"We will, first dinner!" Ruby said taking my hand "Come on you guys!"

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	32. Boiled Over

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

* * *

**Leona's POV**

With Yang and Weiss back with us we decided to sit down for dinner and do some catching up.

"I had a feeling splitting up from you was a poor idea." Tarzana told Aria.

"Oh, don't be a baby it worked out Tata." She smiled "We split up to find Lele and Nene faster and we did it."

"I did it, you got captured by bandits." Tar rolled her eyes.

"Oh pass the sauce." Ruby was half reaching over the table.

We just talked about stuff, what had happened, weird things we saw, it was nice to just…be relaxed for once.

"Whoa!" we awed when Yang rolled up her sleeve and showed a yellow and black mechanical arm in place of her normal one.

"It's not the real thing I guess but I'll make use of it." She spun the hand around playfully.

"They've come so far as to make new limbs." Tar said "Fascinating, we have much to learn."

"Is it just as strong?!" Ruby asked touching it.

"It sure is." Yang laughed.

"HMPH!" Nora slammed her arm down on the table "Let's go."

"Now's not really the time…" Weiss said.

"It's always the time! Dibs on the winner!" I yelled.

"HMMM!" Yang put her elbow on the table and started arm wrestling Nora.

"Go Yang!" Ruby yelled "Kick her butt she's in a skirt!"

"So are you." Weiss said.

"HmHmHm." Neo smiled.

"It feels like the original that's for sure." Nora growled.

"Yeah…but it does have some tricks." Yang smirked.

"Really now?" Nora laughed "WAH!"

The arm immediately rocketed out of the elbow joint and sent Nora across the room.

"Cheater." I shook my head.

"No sense of competition." Tar added.

"Yaya wins!" Aria cheered.

"AHHH!" Nora threw the arm across the room when she realized she was holding it.

"HAHAHA!" Yang couldn't stop laughing.

We messed around for a little more before all the food was gone and we just chilled out.

"How do a bunch of kids make so much noise while eating dinner?" Qrow came out.

"Kids are rowdy." I shrugged "Hey I consider is an accomplishment, we made that much noise and Neo can't even talk."

"I could start singing if you'd like." Aria smiled.

"Save that for later." Tar said.

"As usual though you two came in and killed the mood." I walked passed Qrow and Oscar "Great job."

I assumed that they wanted to bring Aria, Weiss and Yang up to speed, but Aria didn't seem to give a damn and Weiss and Yang were surprisingly in the know.

"So the maidens…" Weiss tried to get the conversation moving out of a palpable stall.

"Miss Long, this is more or less what your mother told you yes?" Oz asked.

"Oh that fun story Miss Raven told us." Aria clapped "Sounds familiar."

"Ariana." Tar glared "Please be quiet."

"Uh-oh she called me Ariana she must be serious." She whistled back.

There's something else…" Yang stopped tapping her fingers on the armrest of the couch "your story is missing the part about Qrow and my mother."

"Hm…" I looked up.

Now I was interested.

"I hadn't expected her to give up a secret like that." Oz said.

"GRR!" I growled "enough of your bullshit missing gaps! If you want our help like you say you do stop playing 50/50 with the truth!"

"Leona!" Tarzana yelled.

"RRRR!" I lifted Oz up by the collar "Trust is a two way street, that's what you humans always say right? Then stop expecting us to be the only ones doing any trusting around here! You want us on your side but all you do is play with your lies, secrets and half-truths!"

"Now I-!"

"Not I!" I snapped and poked his chest "WE! This isn't just your body it's Oscar's too! You expect us to protect this kid for you, you drag him and us into the fire yet you never bother giving us the full story or telling us what the fuck it is we're walking into! Some of us can handle fights of the level to come, but why should the ones of us who can handle it even bother if we don't know who it is we're really fighting for!"

"Ever since you came into our lives it's been nothing but living hells!" I snapped "I didn't start going this batshit till I came to your school! Every problem comes back to you! Your secrets and missteps got the school attacked, you're why Blake's MIA, you're why Yang's short and arm, You're why Pyrrha's dead!"

I dropped him.

"Don't beat around the bush, don't try your philosophical bullshit on me enough of your constant lying! I value strength and someone who does nothing but constantly keep secrets and leave allies in the dark at critical moments…is nothing but a weakling. You don't fight you do nothing but scheme and plot just like the people we're fighting" I turned around and looked at Ruby "I'm done!"

"Leona…" she looked up.

"I'll stay cause I'm fighting for you and I'll keep Oscar alive like I said I would." I said looking back "But I'm not fighting for him."

"...we concur with Leona." Tarzana said "The Amazons are allies of Ruby Rose and her friends...we are not Allies of the one known as Ozpin."

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


	33. Basking

_Italics indicate thinking_

**Bold is for attacks**

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**NO POV**

"Haa…" Ruby sat alone on the roof looking out at the city, still uncomfortable after Leona's outburst.

"I suppose I should apologize on her behalf." The tall Tarzana stepped out with a womanly gait.

"Huh?" Ruby looked up.

"You must understand that Leona needs a lot to trust people, and when people intentionally hide facts from her yet expect her full commitment she gets…agitated." Tarzana explained "Though I should clarify I stand with her."

Ruby opened her mouth to speak but the leader of the tribal team cut her off.

"The goal of the Amazons here is to learn about your world and if we should open our borders and be associated with you." She explained "Therefore our goal is not the protection of you, your friends or your quest to defeat Salem."

"I will always prioritize the safety of myself and the other three above your goals are we clear?" Tarzana asked "I apologize for sounding rude but I find it best to be direct right now."

"Y-Yes Ma'am." Ruby nodded.

"Hmph." She scoffed "I'm not that old. Leona trusts you, and she trusts your friends, what she wants is to protect you, that is why she is aggravated with the one called Ozpin, she feels he doesn't have your best interests at heart, merely his own."

Ruby frowned again.

"I'm sure she'll come out and say similar things herself I just thought I'd get ahead of her." Tarzana walked off "Make your choices Ruby Rose, and form your own way of thinking about the situation, you are the leader of team RWBY correct, than as Leader you must think ahead and do what's best for your team."

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**LATER**

**Leona's POV**

I slept off my frustrations and got up early for a workout, going to the roof top terrace. I was surprised when I got up there and Yang, Weiss and Ruby were already there.

"Everyone's getting up early." I commented walking over and taking a seat "Guess I'll join you."

"We're really in Mistral huh." Yang looked out at the rising sun.

"I thought we might not see each other again." Weiss commented.

"We have a habit of defying expectations." Yang laughed.

"…I just wish Blake was here." Ruby sighed.

"I'm sure Blake's doing her own thing." I said "She'll come when she's ready."

"She's made her choice, if she wanted to stick around she could have." Yang said.

"Don't you…want her here?" Ruby asked.

"Why should I?" Yang shrugged.

"Someone's bitter." I mumbled.

"I'm not bitter!" she glared.

"Everyone just relax." Weiss told her.

"It's whatever." Yang left suddenly.

"Like I said." I rolled over to do a push up "She'll come when she's ready. Just like Yang will get over it when she's ready, in the meantime we ought to keep preparing for the fights to come."

"You're already preparing for a fight." Weiss said.

"That's cause I'm not scrawny like you two." I stood up and looked down at her and Ruby "Hell my weapon alone weighs more than the two of you combined."

"And somehow you lift it with one arm." Ruby pulled herself up on my bicep "Cause you're super strong!"

"Praise me more." I said smugly.

"Lele has always been the brawn of the team!" Aria clapped.

"Morning to you too." I said.

"Ah wonderful!" she spun around "Another sunny day!"

"Most days around here are." I shrugged.

"Well I love the sun as you know." Aria cheered.

"You are a strange girl." Weiss said.

"Thanks!" she smiled wide.

"Aria." I looked at her "Just how much have you been using your Semblance?"

"Oh not much just five, six…seven eight nine ten times this week. HAHAHA!" she laughed.

"That's too much." I looked at her "Go take a break."

"You're no fun." She stomped her feet like a small child.

"Just what is your Semblance anyway?" Weiss asked.

"Tata says that's a secret." Aria nodded sharply "I'm not supposed to tell or else I could DIE!"

"Unlikely." I said "They don't call you Unkillable for no reason."

* * *

**AN**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

**Till Next Time!**

 


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